Dragon Age 2 Revisited
by alyssacousland
Summary: Anders/FHawke OC and AU in later chapters. My take on the game, changes in storyline. Written mainly to center around Anders, female Hawke. Chapters tie this fic to DA Revisited Origins .
1. The Grey Warden

**_Hi everybody! This is my take on what the game should have been like, as well as my Hawke/Anders relationship. As I did with Dragon Age Revisited (based on Origins), this fic will have twists and changes to the actual storyline. _**

**_I start out by describing the actual meeting between Hawke and Anders, and keep to the story rather faithfully in this chapter but this will change as the story progresses. I hope you like the changes that I make along the way in future chapters! _**

**_The story will feature all the companions, but focus mainly on Anders and Hawke. _**

**_I'd like to thank my wonderful Beta, PheonRen for her help in making this story easier to read. You rock girl! Another special thanks goes to my close friend and advisor, Lady Callia Blackhawk. You are ridiculously awesome, my dear! _**

**_As usual, my disclaimer: "Bioware owns everything, I only play with its characters!"_**

Dragon Age II Revisited

Chapter 1 - The Grey Warden

"Don't tell me we're going to fight a warden? We don't want any trouble with them, do we?"

The question made Varric smile slightly as he regarded Hawke for a few minutes before replying. Sapphire eyes stared back at him, twinkling slightly. If she wasn't a human, he could see himself falling for her in a flash. She was not only beautiful, but a great fighter as well, her twin blades instantly slashing through any obstacle easily, her moves deadly and quick.

Varric was very glad to be on her side.

"Let's just see what we can find out at Lirene's. The fact is that wardens know a lot about the Deep Roads, so he's just what we need," Varric said slowly, finishing the sentence off with a smile.

Faith returned the smile. She turned back to talk to Bethany and in doing so her chocolate brown hair swung around her shoulders silkily. She still hadn't gotten around to cutting it and it was becoming difficult to fight as it kept getting in her eyes. She made a mental note to buy some hair bands for it later. A pony tail would work just fine.

Bethany looked up at her from the table where she was sitting. She had been chatting with Aveline who was now staring at Hawke waiting for her to tell them what their next move was.

It did surprise her, however, when she discovered what it was that they would be doing.

"We are going to look for a Grey Warden? Here? In Kirkwall?" Aveline could not have sounded more surprised even if she wanted to.

"A _Fereldan_ Grey Warden," Faith shot back, her voice quivering slightly with suppressed laughter. She loved Aveline; she was _so_ prim and proper. One of her favorite things to do was tease her mercilessly. She smiled to herself as she quickly made her way out of The Hanged Man and walked up a set of stairs towards the store. Varric had explained exactly where it was.

The Fereldan refugees in the store were all complaining about the lack of jobs for Fereldans and their hunger and illnesses. Faith felt a pang of sadness before she composed herself and walked straight to the woman at the counter.

"Are you Lirene?" The direct question caused the dark-haired Fereldan to stop talking and regard the newcomer curiously.

"If you need any help, get in line. There are many who were here before you..." she started to say but Faith interrupted her with a sweet smile on her lips.

Behind her, Bethany fidgeted nervously, hoping her sister held her tongue. Lirene reminded her of the Revered Mother in Lothering.

"I hear you know where I can find a Fereldan Grey Warden."

"Only Fereldan Grey Warden I know of is now on the throne, though they don't really care about that here." Lirene's mouth formed a thin line of disapproval and Bethany fidgeted nervously once again. A Fereldan refugee interrupted their conversation.

"The Healer was once a Warden, wasn't he?" The woman was smiling and Faith returned the smile gratefully.

"Well, he isn't one anymore. And he's a good healer. I don't want to put his life in danger." The last sentence was directed at Faith and her small party. Lirene crossed her arms and a defiant look came into her eyes.

Faith looked her squarely in the eye as she did some rapid thinking. If she went ahead and replied as she really wanted to, she guessed she wouldn't get a good response from the woman. Caution urged her to be diplomatic this time around.

"Your healer is in no danger from me." The words were spoken sweetly and Lirene's eyes locked with Faith's.

Whatever she saw there was apparently enough for her demeanor instantly changed and she gave her a small smile before she spoke. "I don't want to lose him to the templars," she said softly.

"Lose him to the templars? Your healer is a mage?" Faith inquired interestedly.

"That he is. I cannot hide him from you for I see you are a fellow Fereldan. Anders helps us with no thought for coin in return. He heals us, delivers our babies, saves our lives."

"We would never turn a mage over to the templars, Mistress," Bethany chirped up.

"If he is a mage, the templars will soon find him," Aveline said sadly.

"We hope not. We try to protect him the best we can." Lirene turned to Faith. "Any refugee in Darktown knows to look for the twin lit lanterns outside his clinic. If you are in need of help, the healer will be within."

...

Darktown was dark. It was also full of bandits and thieves.

Faith cleaned her matching blades on her latest victim's leather armor. They had been attacked twice so far by mobs of rogue thieves. Coterie, by the looks of them. Around the dirty floors and littered grounds and alleyways they went. Ash from fires burning in pits flew up around them and she suddenly wished she could breathe in some fresh air.

"People actually choose to live here? Unbelievable." Aveline's voice cut through her thoughts. She went up a flight of stairs and back down again. So far she had not seen twin lit lanterns anywhere.

Faith was getting a little frustrated.

She rounded a corner and was attacked again by a coterie rogue. Gritting her teeth she jumped right at him causing him to fall back onto the ground. Bethany cast a horror spell at him and she dispatched the rogue quickly, moving on to the archer nearby while Aveline bashed her shield into the nearest thug. Behind them Varric positioned his beloved Bianca and sent out a storm of arrows that clearly won the fight for them.

Faith was looting the bodies as she always did when she saw something twinkling through the gloom. As she straightened up, she saw them. Twin lanterns brightly lit on either side of two closed doors, piercing through the ash, beckoning to her like two beacons. She smiled to herself and trotted down a flight of stairs, only to climb up another set, while her group followed closely behind.

She stopped at one of the closed doors pausing to catch her breath. She could hear no noise coming from within. Opening the door, she walked slowly into the vast room, pausing right after the threshold. The scene unfolding before her instantly reminded her of her father before he had died in Lothering. He had been teaching Bethany how to heal that day, when the templar had appeared out of nowhere. She blinked and shook her head slowly, focusing on the scene before her.

A blond mage stood with his hands outstretched over a pale boy lying on a cot. Beside him stood the boy's parents, their hands entwined as if in prayer, while the mage worked on the boy. Faith saw the blue white healing glow emanating from his hands as he passed them over the child. Then, she saw him lower his head in concentration and focus even harder. The glow grew in intensity and the light grew so bright, it lit up the entire area they were standing in.

Her mouth parted at the same time the boy's eyes fluttered open. The mother sighed with relief and scooped her son into her arms while the mage collapsed into the father's arms. He helped the healer stand and thanked him over and over again. The mage leaned against one of the wooden pillars for support, breathing heavily. Faith took in his rugged, handsome features and felt herself growing hot. Her gaze quickly traveled down the length of his slim body as she took in all the details, right down to the black leather boots he was wearing. She saw him turn and admired his back side, blushing furiously as she took in the curves of what she imagined were firm buttocks.

The man was gorgeous.

...

The boy had been dying when his parents brought him. There was no mistake in that. Anders braced himself for a long session and prayed his mana would last long enough to save him. He concentrated on finding the cause of the illness and fighting it directly, even though he knew it would only tire him faster. He knew it was the only way to save this child's life.

When the boy's eyes finally opened, Anders gave a sigh of relief. He had depleted his mana and stamina so he collapsed. The boy's father caught him just in time and started to thank him. He smiled wanly and rested for a brief moment against one of the wooden pillars in the room. He was relieved that the boy was his last patient. He needed to rest.

At that moment, he felt Justice overtaking him and 'saw' a group of four people standing at the door, even though he was not facing the door. It was enough that Justice had seen.

They were armed.

Grabbing his staff that was resting against the pillar, Anders whirled around quickly in a defensive pose and pointed it directly at the group.

"I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation! Why do you threaten it?"

It was then that his eyes found hers.

He'd never seen eyes like those before. They sparkled like twin sapphires, deep and velvety in color, long dark eyelashes protecting them. His eyes flickered past an adorable slightly turned-up nose, down to her full-lipped mouth and he broke out in a sweat.

Maker help him, she was beautiful!

"Strange occupation for a warden. I thought you were more about taint and death than healing and salvation," Faith retorted quickly, her eyes twinkling and her lips twitching. Anders noticed her smirk slightly in spite of the seriousness of the situation.

_Wait, what?_ Anders blinked. Was she a warden then? He could not sense the taint in her.

"Did the Wardens send you to bring me back?" He asked as he strapped his staff onto his back. "I'm not going. Those bastards made me get rid of my cat." His eyes locked onto hers again and he started to feel a bit light-headed. "Poor Ser Pounce-a-lot. He hated the Deep Roads."

"You had a cat named Ser Pounce-a-lot? In the Deep Roads?" She asked incredulously, one of her eyebrows raising slightly in surprise.

Anders found that he was almost starting to enjoy himself.

"He was a gift. A noble beast. Almost got ripped in half by a genlock once. He swatted the bugger on the nose. Drew blood too," he finished proudly, his eyes growing dreamy as the memory flooded his brain. He saw her lips twitch and felt a grin coming on himself, before reminding himself sharply that he was thinking about his cat.

"The blighted Wardens said he 'made me too soft'. I had to give him to a friend in Amaranthine," Anders finished miserably.

His eyes traveled down the length of her body and a faint blush crept up his cheeks as he took in her curves. He quickly brought his gaze up to her eyes again uncomfortably. A couple of years ago, he would have started to flirt with her, watching her blush at his brazen remarks. He was not that man anymore, however. A haunted look came into his soft brown eyes.

"So you came to Kirkwall to escape the wardens then?" Faith asked quietly.

Anders's eyes narrowed slightly at the question. "You say that like it's a small thing." He saw the twinkle in her eyes and relaxed slightly but continued to talk seriously nevertheless. "Yes, I'm here because there's no Warden outpost, no darkspawn and a whole host of refugees to blend in with. And...some reasons of my own."

She was frowning now, and for some strange reason, he felt himself wanting to wipe the frown away. He looked deeply into her eyes and his attraction for her grew. The rest of her party were listening to their conversation silently.

Trying to control the whirlwind of emotions that threatened to overpower him, he let his eyes now roam over the people with her. His eyes quickly swept over a young girl that looked a lot like her. Her sister perhaps? Then onto a blond dwarf with a crossbow strapped on his back who had an amused expression on his face. When his eyes darted over to Aveline and he saw she was a city guardswoman, he felt himself stiffen at the stern look she had on her face.

"I heard that joining the Wardens is for life," Faith's voice cut through his thoughts, her eyes twinkling. She was smiling, and it was infectious. Anders could now feel a smile tugging at the corners of _his_ lips and he momentarily forgot about the guardswoman and everyone else, for that matter.

"That's only partly true," he shot back, finally rewarding Faith with a smile. "The 'hopelessly tainted by the darkspawn' and 'plagued by nightmares about the Archdemon' parts don't go away. But it turns out if you hide well, you don't have to wear the uniform or go to the parties."

"I'm part of an expedition into the Deep Roads. Any information you have could save people's lives," Faith said in a rush. Her cheeks were red and Anders was taken aback.

_Maker. One minute we're talking about wardens and joking and the next she throws out this expedition at me. Does she even know...?_

His eyes narrowed slightly. It was ridiculous to even suspect she knew why he was really here. What he had gone through just to get here. He felt a little angry at himself. Also, a feeling of claustrophobia was threatening to overcome him, as it always did when he thought about the Deep Roads.

"I'd die a happy man if I never saw the Deep Roads again. You have no idea what I've gone through..." An idea came to his head as he saw an opportunity and he was quick to grab it. "Although, a favor for a favor. What do you say? I help you, you help me..."

She smiled sweetly at him and he had to control the urge to smile back.

"Let's get something straight. I don't do anything that involves children or animals."

He ignored her witty remark. "I have warden maps to the depths of this area, but they come with a price." Anders paused to let this sink in. Apparently it did. She was no longer smiling. "I came to Kirkwall to aid a...friend. A mage prisoner in the wretched gallows. Help me free him and you will have my maps."

Her gaze softened. "Tell me about your friend."

"His name is Karl. Karl Thekla. He was sent here from Ferelden when Kirkwall's Circle required new talent. His last letter said that the Knight Commander was turning the Circle into a prison. Mages are locked in their cells, refused appearances at court, made Tranquil for the slightest crimes. I told him I would come. This is the real reason why I'm here..."

"Are these accusations true?"

"Ask any mage in Kirkwall, if you don't believe me. Over a dozen mages were made Tranquil this year. As a matter of fact, the more people you ask, the worse the rumors become." Anders was frowning now. He could feel a surge of anger battling to surface, and he was struggling to keep it in check. If he let the anger wash over him now, it would mean Justice, and he didn't want them to see that. He didn't want _**her**_to see...

"You want to make your friend an apostate, then?" Faith asked curiously.

"That's such a weighted term!" Anders spat out and Faith's eyes widened. Once again he fought for control. "Yes, Andraste said magic should serve man, not rule him. But I have yet to see any mage that wants to rule anything. It goes against no will of the Maker for mages to live as free as other men."

Faith's eyes widened even more, but she reminded herself that this man did not know anything about her just in time. Her expression softened and when she spoke, her voice held a warmth that surprised him.

"Forcing mages into servitude is not the way to prevent the rise of another Imperium."

He could not believe what he had just heard. Was this woman for real? This time the smile he gave her was warm, inviting and genuine.

"That's not usually the response I get. Perhaps we will work together better than I expected."

"Perhaps we will," Faith purred back. Anders's heart flew to his throat. "Since that's settled then, I want to introduce you to my companions. My friend, Aveline," she pointed to the guardswoman, who nodded her head quickly. "Varric, the dwarf. His crossbow, Bianca." Varric smiled at Anders and Anders smiled back. "And that over there is my sister Bethany. She's an apostate."

Anders's eyes flew back to Faith. He realized then and there how utterly idiotic he had been. Of course she would defend the mages. It was obvious that she cared about her sister. "My name is Faith Hawke. Nearly everyone calls me Hawke. I suppose I could come up with a better name, but...oh, well..." She shrugged. Behind her Varric chuckled.

He gave her a sidelong smile and his eyes twinkled warmly at her. "You must know my name is Anders..."

"Must I?" She burst out laughing. It was the sweetest sound he'd heard in a long time and his smile deepened into a grin. "So, how do you plan to break your friend out of the Gallows?" Her brow furrowed prettily.

"I'm hoping it won't come to that. I sent Karl a message to meet me in the Chantry tonight. Maker willing, he'll be there alone. But if there are templars with him, I swear I'll free him from them. Whatever the cost."

"So, do I meet you at the Chantry tonight then?" Faith asked.

"Yes. At the Chantry tonight." Anders said quietly.

Faith nodded back at him, a smile on her face as she turned to leave.

"This means a lot to me," Anders said unexpectedly and she turned her head to look at him. He was giving her that sidelong smile again, and her eyes fixed on his lips involuntarily. She gave herself a mental shake and her eyes quickly flew up to his warm brown eyes. "Thank you."

His voice was but a whisper, but her body started to tingle, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. She smiled nervously and turned away again, this time walking out the door with the rest of her companions following her closely.

"Is it just me or did it just get very hot?" Varric's amused voice floated above the ash and darkness around them and Faith blushed all the way to the roots of her hair.

"So, that's a Grey Warden, huh?" Bethany commented cheerfully.

Faith suddenly wished she was alone.

...


	2. Tranquility

**_More in-game stuff, with splashes of original dialogs here and there. _**

**_Bioware owns everything, I swear! _******

Chapter 2 - Tranquility

He was waiting at the Chantry, just like he had told her. Her heart thumped a little faster when she saw him and she tried to convince herself that it was beating fast because of the thugs they had encountered and dispatched along the way.

"I saw Karl entering the building not long ago. No templars so far," Anders remarked as soon as she was close.

"I didn't see anyone suspicious on the way. Well, aside from the groups of thugs that attacked us, but they weren't templars," Faith twinkled.

He gave her a half smile and they entered the Chantry together, followed closely behind by Varric, Aveline, Bethany and her...hound? She had a mabari hound? Anders suppressed a smile and gazed at the dog who stood quietly beside his mistress. He wasn't a dog person but he caught the dog gazing up at Faith with adoration in its eyes and his smile deepened.

"When we find Karl, just let me do the talking," he whispered to her.

His eyes were on her, and even though she was ahead of the rest of the group, from where he was standing he could catch a glimpse of her profile when she turned her head slightly to acknowledge that she had heard him. He felt Justice stir inside him disapprovingly and averted his eyes until they started walking. Then, he looked at her hips and felt himself blush. Try as he might, he could not avert his gaze again.

_Distraction. What if templars attack now? This girl is a bad distraction._

But Anders was feeling light-headed and ignored the words in his head. They were going up a flight of stairs and turned a corner when she stopped dead in her tracks and he nearly bumped into her. Ahead of them, he could make out a lone figure standing in the dim light of the room they were in.

_Karl! _

And suddenly he forgot who he was with - he forgot about her completely. The memories leapt up and drowned him completely: Karl and a younger Anders in the circle in Ferelden, laughing and hiding from the templars. Karl kissing him. Karl teaching him how to -

"Anders, I knew you would come."

Something was wrong. Karl was talking in a monotone. He had never talked that way before.

"Karl, what's wrong? Why are you talking like -" Anders's voice caught in his throat when Karl turned. The brand on his forehead made him cry out. Behind him he heard Bethany gasp.

"I was too rebellious. Like you. The templars knew I had to be made an example of."

"Karl, no!"

But Karl continued speaking, ignoring Anders's cry.

"How else will mages ever learn to master themselves? You'll understand, Anders. As soon as the templars teach you to control yourself."

The noise behind them caused them to turn around. Several templars, swords drawn, stood there, two of them archers. Anders felt Justice burn with rage as Karl uttered his next words.

"This is the apostate."

"No!" The cry came from his throat, and he doubled over.

For a split second, Faith thought he was going to be sick. Then, to her surprise, she saw him start to _glow_. Blue light filled his body and emanated from his hands. When he straightened up, his eyes glowed blue.

"You fiends will never take another mage as you took him!" The booming voice wasn't Anders's. Faith drew her twin blades, her heart thumping wildly as she turned to face the templars.

In a few seconds all hell broke loose, and Faith fought like she had never fought before. She quickly jumped from templar to templar, her fast movements a blur. Aveline was focused on a Templar Lieutenant and Bethany and Anders were firing spells at the templars. The difference between them was that Anders continued to glow and his spells shot from his hands and staff faster than Bethany's. He kept crying out from time to time and Faith turned, slightly distracted, trying to understand what he was saying.

Then, it happened. Right at the moment when Faith turned to look at Anders, a Templar Hunter appeared out of nowhere and backstabbed Faith.

She cried out, unable to move and knew that she had been critically hit. Waiting for the hunter to finish the job, she closed her eyes tightly, hoping that it wouldn't hurt as much as she was already hurt. But the killing blow never came. Instead, she heard Anders's voice crying out. Anders's voice...not the booming voice, and gentle hands touching her back. A warmth soothed her and she discovered she had been healed. The pain was gone and she got on her feet immediately, feeling healthy and ready to continue fighting.

The fight was over, however, and Karl stood there, his once impassive face now full of emotion as he regarded Anders.

"Anders! I - what did you do? It's like you brought a piece of the Fade into this world!" Karl said in awe.

Faith interrupted him before he could reply.

"That's a good question! What did you do? That angry, glowing thingy, what the heck was that?" Faith demanded.

"It's like a gateway to the Fade inside you, glowing like a beacon," Karl said excitedly.

"I have...some...unique circumstances, yes. But, Karl, what happened? How did they get you?" Anders asked Karl in a worried and urgent tone.

"The templars...They are far more vigilant than in Ferelden. They found a letter I was writing you and...well, you can imagine the rest." Karl bowed his head for a few moments, then fixed his sad eyes on Anders once again. "You cannot imagine what it's like, Anders. All the color, all the music in the world, gone. I would gladly give up my magic. But this? It's like I'll never be whole again." Karl's voice ended in a whisper, but everyone in the room heard him.

Anders moved closer, but Karl backed away, his eyes suddenly full of a longing, a madness that seemed to consume his very soul.

"Please! Kill me before I forget again! I don't know how you brought it back, but it's fading!"

"Karl, no!" Anders nearly sobbed.

"My sister calls being Tranquil a fate worse than death. Give him peace," Faith said quietly.

"Now, please! It's fading!" Then suddenly, Karl's eyes clouded over again, and his whole demeanor changed. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked in a monotone.

"I got here too late. I'm sorry, Karl, I'm so sorry," Anders said sadly, his voice breaking. Then he slowly approached Karl and in one swift moment, brought his small dagger out from its sheath, plunging it directly into his heart.

"Goodbye." Anders's voice was a whisper and he was so close to his former lover, he could have kissed him. Karl slid to the ground and Anders turned, his eyes dead.

"We should leave before more templars come."

Faith did not dare speak a word, but followed him silently out of the room, the rest of her group trailing behind.

...

It was very late when they reached Anders's clinic, as they were attacked on the way back by several groups of thugs. It seemed that crime was rampart in Kirkwall and Faith made a mental note to do something about that soon.

Once inside the clinic, Anders turned to face her, but Faith held up her hand.

"Look, it's late and we're all tired. We can talk tomorrow," she said quietly, turning to leave.

Anders barely nodded and watched her sadly as she left the room, his heart heavy. Then, he locked the doors to the clinic and went to his room at the back. He undressed and washed himself tiredly. He put on a tunic and sighed. Crawling into the small cot he called a bed, he fell into a deep sleep.

...

When he opened his eyes the following morning, he got up and stretched. He didn't bother to dress and walked into the main room of his clinic heading to the cupboards where he kept some bread and ham and made himself a sandwich, which he quickly devoured. He was preparing a second one when a chuckle behind him caused him to whirl around quickly.

"What the -"

"Good morning. I'm sorry. Didn't mean to scare you," Faith grinned up at him from the chair she was sitting on. She was eyeing his bare legs with interest, but his tunic covered his smalls, so she couldn't get a glimpse of what she most wanted to see.

Anders moved behind a chair. He hoped she hadn't seen the bulge that threatened to break out of his smalls.

"How in Thedas did you get in here? I locked the doors last night!" He exclaimed nervously.

"You're talking to one of the most experienced lock pickers in Thedas, Ser," Faith replied in an amused tone. "There is yet a lock out there that I haven't been able to pick."

"That's...good to know," Anders said weakly. "For a moment there, I thought the locks were crap."

"That too." Faith burst out laughing. Her violet-sapphire eyes were twinkling and Anders blinked back at her.

"What are you doing here?"

"I thought we could talk about last night." Faith slowly got up and walked to where Anders was standing. She was very close, and Anders gripped the chair firmly, thankful for its presence. His erection was now grinding into the back of the chair and he started sweating.

"I also believe you owe me something," she purred.

"Well, if you wait for me to wash up and dress, maybe I can get the maps from my room in the back and -"

Faith giggled and then shrugged. "All right then. I'll wait here."

"Right," Anders said automatically, but did not move. He continued to look at her and his hands gripped the back of the chair even harder.

A few minutes passed and one of Faith's eyebrows arched up as she looked at him.

"Why are you still here?"

"I - uh - can't go if you're staring at me! I'm half naked!" He exclaimed, totally mortified. The truth of the matter was that he didn't mind being half naked at all. But he wasn't going to let her catch a glimpse of his throbbing erection.

Faith burst out laughing and turned her back.

"I'll keep my back turned until you can tell me to look, will that suffice?"

"Yes, I...I'll only be a few minutes. Have a seat. I'll be back as soon as I can." Anders backed into his room, bumping into a table along the way. He swore violently and rubbed his leg, while Faith snickered in her corner.

She heard him moving about, papers rustling and minutes later, the sound of water splashing. Smiling to herself, she looked around the huge dismal room and wished it was somewhat cheerier.

...

He held out the maps, which she took with a smile. His hair was still wet, and fastened into a ponytail and he smelled like freshly cut lemons.

"You use lemon soap?" She blurted out, instead of thanking him for the maps.

To her surprise, he chuckled at this and she smiled. It was the first time she heard him laugh and she liked the sound.

"Why yes, I do. Are you allergic to the smell or something?"

"No, not at all. I use lemon soap sometimes. I didn't know you were so -"

His eyebrows shot up.

"So?"

"So clean," she finished off, and his eyes widened.

"I'm a healer. What kind of healer would I be if I didn't wash? The smell alone would kill my patients." He was giving her that sidelong smile now and his eyes were twinkling warmly at her.

Instead of replying she shocked him with her next words.

"So, are you an abomination or what?"

His smile vanished.

_Oh, brilliant, Faith. While you are at it, why don't you stick a knife in his heart?_

"You're wrong. But not far wrong, I'm afraid," Anders said sadly. He paused and sat on the chair next to her. "This is...difficult to explain. When I was in Amaranthine, I met a spirit of Justice, which was trapped outside of the Fade. We became friends. And he recognized the injustice that mages in Thedas face every day."

"That's...different than a demon?" Faith asked.

"Demons prey on the deadly sins of mankind. Sloth, Pride and so on," Anders explained patiently. "Spirits embody our virtues: compassion, fortitude...justice. They are the Maker's first children, and they have all but given up on us."

"I understand and know this. My father used to explain these things to my sister. And I would listen in. What I don't understand is why your eyes glow," Faith shot back.

"Well, in order to live outside the Fade, Justice needed a host. I offered to help him...But...I guess I had too much anger. Once he was inside me, he...changed." Anders's look on his face was one of pure torture. Faith started to feel sorry they were even talking about this. "But we were going to work together, bring justice to every child ever ripped away from his mother to be sent to the Circle."

"So, he's living inside your head?"

"No, it's not like that at all. He's gone now. He's part of me. It's not like we can...have a conversation. I feel his thoughts as my own. Not even the greatest scholar could tell you where I end and he begins."

"I'm sorry, Anders. It's stupid of me to force you into having this conversation. This is obviously difficult for you. I wish I could help," Faith said softly.

"No, it's...fine. I realize you need to know." He bowed his head for a moment, but then looked up and continued talking. "I thought I was helping my friend. He would have...died, I guess. If that even means anything. And he wanted to help me. He knew what mages had suffered. But there was too much hatred in me. Justice thought he would overcome that." He sighed. "My anger...when I see templars now, things that have always outraged me, but I could never do anything about..._he_ comes out. And he is no longer my friend Justice. He is a force of vengeance. And he has no grasp of mercy."

"Can you bring him out at will?"

"No. He comes out only when I've lost all power over myself. It's a madness, a frenzy. I only find out after what I might have done."

_Shut up! Shut up! Can't you see this is killing him? _

"So, that's why you have that sexy, tortured look. At least Justice got a nice body," she said huskily, her eyes twinkling warmly at him.

Anders was completely caught unawares. He had not expected that. He found himself smiling at her, trying to bite back the laugh that was threatening to bubble over.

"I don't have a looking glass here in the clinic, so I don't look at myself in the mirror very often. I didn't think I'd meet a woman who could look past what I just said. Not only my maps are yours, but I am as well," he replied leaning forward until his face was inches away from hers. He half-expected a witty retort from her, but he saw that she blushed a deep red, which surprised him.

_What are you doing? Stop it! You can't do this! _

He leaned back away from her quickly and gave her a weak smile.

She stood up and turned to face the cupboard.

"Any chance that you have some tea in there? I could use a cup," she said in a hurried voice.

"Ah, yes, I seem to recall I do. I'll heat up some water and we can have a cup."

...

"So...you spoke about your father teaching your sister? Did he come to Kirkwall with you?" Anders asked while Faith sipped her tea.

"No. My father died a few years ago. He was murdered by a templar," Faith replied in a monotone. "He was trying to protect Bethany. It happened very fast. I killed my first templar that day. I was eighteen years old."

Anders's face fell. "I'm sorry. This is obviously difficult for you. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's fine. I just cross-examined you, remember?" She chuckled.

He smiled back at her warmly. "But you did come from Ferelden, didn't you?"

"Yes. We came here to escape the Blight. My mother, my sister Bethany and Aveline. My younger brother, Carver, didn't make it. He was Bethany's twin. He was killed by an ogre." She gave a bark of a laugh and stared into her cup for a while. Then lifted her face up to gaze into his eyes. "I guess my stories aren't very amusing. I can make some up, though. Would you like that?"

He smiled at her again and finished his tea. She was still sipping it slowly, so he waited for her to finish.

"My father was also an apostate. He escaped the templars here in Kirkwall with my mother and they travelled to Ferelden. We moved around a lot because of the templars, and eventually settled down in Lothering."

"I hear Lothering had it bad during the Blight."

"Yes. It was overrun by darkspawn. We...well. You already know we barely escaped with our lives." She finished her tea, and handed Anders her cup. "How do you feel about taking a stroll this evening?"

_Maker's breath! Would this woman ever cease to surprise him?_

"I can do that. I rarely sleep all night anyway, what with the darkspawn nightmares and all," he replied with a smile.

"Good. We have some bandits to kill, and Varric says he has a job for me. So can you meet me at the Hanged Man tonight?"

"Hanged Man it is." Anders's warm brown eyes twinkled and she gave him a grin.

"See you then!"

But before she left, she stopped and delivered a last comment that made him groan. "You'd better fix your locks. I kind of broke them..."

...


	3. Pirates, Slavers and Thugs

**_Recruiting some companions, and Anders's and Faith's inner thoughts. _**

**_Hope you like it! :D _**

**_Bioware owns everything, I swear! :D _**

Chapter 3 - Pirates, Slavers and Thugs

"You're here all alone?" Anders asked as he arrived at the door of the Hanged Man.

Faith smiled up at him.

"My Uncle Gamlen's home, where we all live, is next door. Nothing to it, I just went down the stairs and walked a few steps. Nobody around as far as I could tell."

"You could have told me to meet you at your doorstep. There are plenty of thugs about, you know. This _is_ Lowtown, in case you don't know."

She laughed at this and he smiled warmly at her. Her laugh was like a ray of sunshine to him, breaking through the darkness.

"I can take care of myself just fine, Anders. But I'll keep your offer in mind for next time. Come on. Varric is inside and we can go pick Bethany up when we are done talking to him."

As soon as they had stepped inside The Hanged Man, Faith's eyes were drawn to the bar. At the counter there was a scantily dressed dark-skinned woman surrounded by at least three men with large swords. She could see that Anders was watching the scene closely too. She got a little closer to listen to their conversation, with Anders right beside her.

"Isabela. You owe us for that job." The man that was closest to her said aggressively.

The woman continued to calmly drink as if she was deaf. She apparently had heard what he had told her because of what she said next in between sips.

"Well, Lucky. I'll tell you what." Another sip. "Since the information you gave me was worth nothing. _That's_ what you're getting."

The man stood there for a few moments, struck speechless, till one of his mates elbowed him. He then drew his sword and snarled at her while he stopped her hand from grabbing the glass again to take another sip.

"Bitch! You owe us!"

What happened next was so fast it caused Anders to blink and stare in bewilderment, while Faith started laughing.

Isabela turned to the so-called 'Lucky' and actually _flirted. _"Oh, you poor sweet thing." Her face was inches away from his, her eyelashes batted and Lucky started to smile. Then she hit him and hit his companions before they had a chance to know what was happening. The fact that she was fast and used them against each other could have done something to tip the odds in her favor. Soon she was standing with a dagger pointed directly at Lucky's throat, while his mates lay on the floor nursing their wounds.

"Tell me, Lucky," she hissed. "Is this worth dying for?"

Lucky quickly turned heel and ran, followed by his now limping companions.

They left groaning and Faith walked the few steps to stand right in front of the other woman. Varric, in the meantime had left the rooms he rented in the Hanged Man and had approached the bar because of the commotion. He was always where the action was and his lips twitched into a smile as he watched Faith stand right in front of Isabela.

Isabela turned to Faith and gave her a smile.

"You're new around here, aren't you? Welcome and watch yourself around this place. You're nothing but tits and ass to the men around here, and they won't hesitate to grab at them both."

"Speaking from experience, are we?" Faith retorted in an amused tone.

Isabela chuckled at this and gave Faith a funny little bow as she introduced herself. Soon they were both laughing and talking to each other, while Anders and Varric stood there watching them. Well, Varric watched them both. As for Anders, his eyes were fixed on Faith's face. Varric saw this and his lips twitched again.

Humans were too funny.

...

The fight with Hayder had proved to be somewhat harrowing. It was in the Chantry, for one, and Anders kept reminding himself that it had been three days since he had ended Karl's life. The other thing was the tension he felt in keeping his eyes on Faith while he was fighting. She was reckless. A good fighter, that he could not deny. But reckless all the same.

He did not want to go through the same panic he had felt when that Templar Hunter had backstabbed her. The memory of the whole experience was still very fresh in his mind...

_Focus on the fight. Forget about the girl. She is a distraction! _

Anders gritted his teeth and hit the assassin that was coming straight at him with an electricity spell that had him jerking to and fro. Out of nowhere, Faith materialized and backstabbed the assassin. He saw her wild grin before moving swiftly onto her next victim. He shook his head at this and turned to run off just in time. A slaver was heading directly towards him and he flung a glyph of repulsion directly in front of him, smiling when he saw the man flung the opposite direction as soon as he stepped inside the glyph.

They were vastly outnumbered, but once again Varric's skill with Bianca proved to be what saved them. The hail of arrows aimed at all the slavers slowed them down to a crawl, and Isabela and Faith jumped around slashing at the men until they were all dead. The only one left standing was Hayder himself.

Anders saw something unspoken pass between Isabela and Faith, and suddenly Isabela vanished while Faith leered at the man as he lifted his huge greatsword slowly. Faith sidestepped and Isabela materialized behind Hayder, backstabbing him, while Faith quickly brought her dagger across his throat, slashing it mercilessly. Hayder went down and Isabela stood in front of Faith. They were both smiling and then started to laugh.

Anders turned to Varric who had a wide grin on his face. Anders managed a weak smile and turned back to Faith and Isabela again, while he automatically strapped his staff behind his back. They were chatting about what had just happened. Faith's witty remarks were making his lips twitch again.

"Why is it that I can see you want to laugh, but you try so hard not to, Blondie? It won't kill you to laugh, I promise," Varric said in an amused tone.

He turned to Varric, and had to smile at the grin plastered on the dwarf's face.

"See? Smiling doesn't kill anyone either," Varric finished off.

Faith was now walking towards them, a big smile on her face as well, and Anders actually smiled back at her. Then Isabela spoke to her, her voice a purr, and his smile froze.

"I have a room at the Hanged Man, if you are looking for...company later..."

...

The 'job' Varric had for Faith turned out to be meeting a dwarf who was scared out of his wits in a dark corner in Lowtown. The dwarf, whose name was Anso, apologized profusely for nearly jumping out of his skin when Faith spoke to him.

She listened to what he wanted done, and realized that he could only be talking about a shipment of lyrium.

"You're smuggling lyrium to the templars?"

"Shh, by the ancestors! I should have listened to my mother and become a stable boy instead."

Anders suddenly felt a mad desire to laugh as he pictured a dwarf in a stable tending to horses.

Faith was now asking him to make it worth her while and she would help him. She needed money for the deep roads expedition and she wanted to make sure she would be paid accordingly for this job.

Anso assured her he would pay her and added that the men were meeting in an abandoned hovel in the alienage. She nodded at this and turned, heading off towards the alienage with Isabela, Varric and Anders following closely behind.

As soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs to the alienage, Faith stopped and stood there for a few minutes, her whole body tense.

Something was not right.

Behind her, Varric cleared his throat.

"It's a little _too_ quiet here tonight."

Faith inwardly agreed with the dwarf. Her senses screamed at her to turn back, but she set her jaw and walked towards the door of the seemingly abandoned little house.

As soon as they stepped inside, and her eyes became accustomed to the dark, she made out two doors leading to small rooms inside. And right in front of the door on her right, she made out a trip wire that led to two barrels.

"Trap!" She called out, and moved forward silently to disarm it. The resounding 'click' broke the silence around them and Faith drew her daggers out, her eyes darting around the room and eyeing both doors warily. She caught Isabela's eyes, and motioned at her to move to the other door. Varric had his finger on Bianca's trigger, and Anders held his staff in front of him, aiming directly at the door in front of Faith.

She nodded to Isabela who kicked the door in front of her open at the same time that Faith kicked the one in front of her open. The thugs inside lunged for them, but they were prepared. Anders sent out a glyph of paralysis, followed by a glyph of repulsion that sent thugs flying and paralyzed two others, while Faith danced quickly around the thugs, slashing and rushing into the ones that stood up, only to send them staggering back to the floor once again. There was only one archer in the room Isabela had burst into, and dispatched quickly, so she ran back to the room where Faith was fighting the rest of the thugs to help her out.

The fight ended very quickly and Faith started to loot the thugs before walking towards the chest that probably contained Anso's goods in the corner of the room. She deftly picked the lock and flung it open only to stare at down at it in dismay.

The chest was empty.

...

As soon as they stepped outside, they froze in their tracks. In front of them stood a full company of about two dozen soldiers, swords and shields drawn staring insolently at them. Faith's eyes narrowed. The armor they wore looked...

Tevinter! What the heck were _they_ doing here?

A woman, who clearly commanded them gave the order to attack and they soon were fighting for their lives.

By the time they dispatched all the men, a second wave came, alongside a mage. Faith was exhausted and made a fateful mistake. She stood in one spot too long and was knocked off her feet by the spell the mage flung at her.

Anders gave out a cry of rage and sent a freezing spell on the mage, and Varric quickly shot at the mage, killing him instantly. Isabela finished off the last man and quickly turned to see Anders running towards Faith and gently turning her over, while applying healing magic on her.

After a few minutes, Faith's eyes fluttered opened and she gave Anders a warm smile. Both Varric and Isabela saw the relief flood over Anders's face as he gently helped her sit up. Faith's voice floated up to them as she sat up.

"What would I do without my nice, strong mage to protect me?" Her voice was slightly slurred, and Anders smiled at her as she struggled to stand up.

"No, no standing yet. Get your strength back first. Here, take this," he said softly as he handed her his water skin.

She drank gratefully and then handed it back.

"Thanks, Anders. I think I can stand now."

She swayed a little, and Anders moved quickly forward, but she brushed him off, smiling. He smiled back and let her walk around a bit.

"Well...that's the last time I underestimate dwarves," she quipped.

"Hey! We're not all that bad, Hawke!" Varric protested.

"Aww, Varric. Of course I didn't mean you!" She purred, and Varric let out a chuckle.

"We'd better head back to Anso and let him know his goods are gone," Anders said quietly.

"If he doesn't know already," Faith added as she began to walk towards the stairs.

Just as she reached them, she stopped. A man in Tevinter uniform moved down the stairs to meet them. "I don't know who you are, friend, but you've made a big mistake coming here," he growled at her. Then, turning his head slightly, he yelled, "Lieutenant! I want everyone in the clearing! Now!"

Faith groaned inwardly, and mentally prepared herself for the fight that was about to start. But before she even had a chance to pull out her daggers, she heard a scuffle and groans from someone that had obviously been attacked. An armored man appeared, trailing blood on the ground and fell dead at the other man's feet. Then, an elf with shocking white hair appeared and moved slowly down the stairs towards them, past the other man who was too shocked to even move.

"Your men are dead, and your trap has failed. I suggest you return to your master before you end up dead yourself," the elf growled at the man.

The man pulled himself together, and placed his hand on the elf's shoulder, attempting to stop the elf before he could leave. "You are going nowhere, slave!" He snarled angrily back at him.

Faith had a chance to inspect the elf, who was at that moment staring at her. He had the most peculiar white lines running along his arms and neck, and two lines running down from the corners of his mouth as well. She blinked, taking in his uncanny appearance before she saw him turn and growl out that he was not a slave. Suddenly the lines in him glowed and he rammed his fist easily into the man's chest and squeezed.

The man groaned once and slid to the ground, dead as a doornail.

The elf had stopped glowing and turned to the now stunned group in front of him and nodded his head once.

"I apologize for all this. My name is Fenris. When I asked Anso to provide a distraction for the Tevinter bounty hunters, I did not expect them to be so numerous."

"A distraction?" Faith managed to squeak out. "You mean to say that the job really was to help you out?"

"I'm sorry about the deception. I've grown too accustomed to hiding, and I did not think you would agree to the job, if Anso had asked you to divert a group of bounty hunters. Yes. You are correct. They were looking for me and wanted to capture me to take me back to Tevinter."

"So, all this was for an empty chest?" Faith chuckled.

Fenris had already knelt beside the dead man and was searching through his pockets and did not reply immediately. He found some papers, and shook his head after he quickly went through the contents.

"No, there's more. It is as I thought. My former master is here." He stood up and faced Faith again. "I know this is a lot for you to take in all at once, but my former master is here, in a mansion in Hightown. I need your help in bringing him down."

Faith's mouth parted in surprise.

"You lured me into a trap and now you want my help?"

Fenris stepped closer. She could see that his eyes were green, and they seemed to be bearing into her very soul now.

"I know it seems a lot to ask, after all you have been through. I apologize again for the deception. But I cannot confront him alone," he said in a monotone.

Faith frowned. "Make it worth my time, and I'll help you," she quickly retorted.

"I will," Fenris said quietly. "Thank you for your aid. Please come with me, we must enter the house before morning."

...


	4. Band of Misfits

_**First of all, thanks so much to all those who reviewed: PheonRen, Kira Tamarion and Billini, as well as those who favorited this story and have put it on their alerts! I'm thrilled to know you like it. **_

_**This chapter will have a lot more original stuff mixed in with one of the game quests as well. I actually had Faith Hawke doing research at the Keep on the Bone Pit, as one of the things that really made me angry when I first played the game was that you sort of stumble on the mature dragon without really being prepared for it. Also, I could never understand why Anders has no slots in his armor/coat for runes, whereas the rest have two or three rune slots. Yeah, they give him one lousy slot in Act 3, go figure! I try to give an explanation for this unfortunate lack of rune slots in this chapter. **_

_**As usual, Bioware owns everything, I merely fool around with the characters! *giggles* **_

Chapter 4 - Band of Misfits

They were her friends. Most of them insane? Sure. She was insane as well. Some of them wild? Definitely. She was wild. One of them possessed?

Faith let a sigh escape her lips. Ah, Anders. She had fallen for him on the first day she had set eyes on him, there was no mistake in that. She had tried to convince herself that it was just friendship she felt, but had to give up because it wasn't working. All this past month, they had grown close. Anders knew everything about her, but try as she might there were still things she did not know about him. And that was uncanny, for Faith was the kind of person that made people open up to her very easily.

Her thoughts wandered to each and every one of her friends. Her band of misfits.

Merrill. Even though she confessed to using blood magic, Faith felt a soft spot for this elven mage. She was innocent and sweet and had a good heart. Forever lost in her dreams and thoughts, her comments would sometimes send the rest of the party into fits of laughter, while she would innocently ask why they were laughing. Faith was always trying to stop Anders from being too preachy around her, and succeeded sometimes, but most of the times she couldn't. Sweet Merrill, who always was so lost, oblivious to the real world...

Fenris. Her angry, angsty escaped slave. The lyrium etched into his skin had caused him to forget his past. Broody and angry, Fenris smiled for no one and hated mages. He did, however, allow himself to smile at her. And he even laughed at some things she said. But he could not bring himself to like any of the mages in her group. Except for Bethany, of course. Fenris had a soft spot for Bethany. He could see how innocent she was, how she was keen on doing good. He never revealed what he thought or how he felt. But Faith knew...

Varric. Her dear, humorous rogue dwarf. The passion and love for his crossbow, Bianca, oozing out of him in floods. She smiled as she remembered how concerned he was whenever Bianca got scratched. Varric, always making others smile and laugh. Varric, who had a soft spot for Anders, Bethany and Merrill and who was Isabela's best bud. Varric. Loyal and funny. Varric, the storyteller. Varric, the excellent marksman. Varric, her true friend...

Isabela. Her rogue counterpart. When they fought together, they were unstoppable. Her sister in times of need. She made Faith laugh and unknown to mostly all of them, had a heart of gold. She spoke rubbish, but every now and then came up with something so deep, that others stopped and stared to make sure it was Isabela who was talking. Faith smiled again affectionately. Isabela was indeed like a sister to her...

Aveline. Her stern soldier. A friend since their escape from Lothering, she knew Faith the longest, and was like a sister to her as well. Faith knew that if she ever caught anyone bad-mouthing her, it would be their last day on earth. Aveline was fiercely loyal. She was teased so mercilessly by Faith, but shrugged all the teasing aside. She would only smile at Hawke when they were alone, hardly ever laughed out loud at her jokes, but Faith knew that she enjoyed them nonetheless. Aveline, her rock of strength, her defender and protector...

Her merry band of misfits.

Faith shook her head with a smile on her lips. Directly in front of her was one of the doors to Anders's clinic, which made her remember why she had come here in the first place. She held a basket of food in one hand and without thinking twice, opened the door and stepped inside.

He was sitting at a makeshift desk, which really was two crates piled one on the other, the rickety chair he was on looked like it would fall to pieces if he moved too fast. She stopped for a moment to look at him, grateful that he had not heard her come in. Her eyes drank in his features greedily, and they darted to the hand which grasped a quill. His long fingers...she shivered as her mind ran away from her and she envisioned his fingers touching her face, while his other hand found the nape of her neck, gently pulling her face towards him as his lips descended -

"Oh! Hawke! I didn't see you come in," Anders's voice cut through her daydream, and she found herself blushing. She saw him blink back at her confusedly, unsure of what had caused her to blush in the first place.

"Sorry," she gave a nervous laugh. "I didn't mean to startle you."

He stood up gracefully, and strode over to where she was standing, giving her a small smile, while his warm brown eyes shone at her. He was evidently glad to see her there, causing her smile to deepen.

"I brought you something to eat, and before you say no, let me tell you that I used some of the money that is rightfully yours, from helping me out on that job the other day," she said hurriedly. Without waiting for his answer, she walked quickly towards another crate, and set the basket down. She took out some ham, cheese, bread and water skins, for she knew he wasn't partial to wine, and lay them on the crate.

"Thank you, Hawke," he said quietly and before she turned to face him, she could feel his eyes bearing down on her. She shivered again, feeling slightly dizzy. The heat that had started already in her groin was building up fast, and she struggled to get a hold of herself.

Only when she had successfully managed to stop shaking long enough to make him a sandwich, did she dare turn to face him with a smile, holding it out for him to take.

Anders took the sandwich with a smile on his face and in his heart. She saw how relaxed and happy he seemed to be, and her smile became a grin. He started to devour the sandwich, stopping only to take some gulps of water from one of the water skins. She chuckled at how fast his sandwich evaporated, and made him another, while she herself nibbled slowly on her first one.

"Did you have many patients today?" She asked between nibbles, and he shook his head as he finished off his second sandwich. He drank some more water and sighed contentedly, leaning back on his chair, which protested with a resounding creak.

Faith giggled at this and his eyebrows arched up.

"Oh, if you move some more, I'm sure that chair will break."

"You offend me, Serah," Anders retorted in mock hurt tones. "Are you suggesting I'm fat?"

She laughed outright then.

"No, you are far too thin for that. But stick to me and you'll fill in quite nicely, I daresay," she purred.

She was rewarded with a faint blush on his cheeks, something she hardly ever saw. It pleased her to think she was actually making him squirm about something. Due to Justice, he almost always seemed to have a tight control over his emotions. This saddened her somewhat. She thought about what kind of person he probably was before Justice and the thought made her shiver slightly again.

"Are you cold?" Anders's concerned voice brought her back and she giggled at his question.

"No, not at all," she said quickly. Then, because she was feeling deliriously happy herself, and slightly coquettish, "are you? I have some ways to warm you up, if so..."

She regretted the words that came out of her mouth when she saw his face fall, and the guarded look come into his eyes again. He stood up and walked away, pretending to put away some poultices, but she knew he was trying to look busy to avoid the awkward moment.

"I know you probably have better ways to warm yourself up, though," she made a feeble attempt at humor, and he turned abruptly to face her, his whole face set with determination, his eyes miserable.

"Please, don't even go there." Anders's voice was a whisper, but urgent nevertheless. Her heart sank.

"I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't. It's not proper, nor ladylike, and I'm not even sure that you like me well enough. I mean, the way you're supposed to like me if -"

He shook his head and was on his knees in front of her in a flash, looking up at her with a look she had never seen before. It confused her, that look, for it seemed that he was in anguish, but his look also spoke of _adoration_. Adoration for her!

Faith's eyes widened with surprise, for Anders had taken both her hands in his and his thumbs were absent-mindedly stroking her knuckles softly.

"I can barely control myself when you are around, Faith. But I must. You know what I am, what I have become. You've seen it. If we had met two years ago, maybe then we could have had something, but...I'm not that man anymore. I'll hurt you. I'll break your heart..."

She hardly heard what he said, her mind was still on his first sentence. He could barely control himself around her? Maker's breath! Her lips parted, and his eyes widened, his pupils dilating slightly.

"What you've become?" She mumbled stupidly and he dropped her hands and walked off to pull a chair over to where they were standing. He motioned her to sit and then pulled one over for himself, sitting down in front of her.

"Yes, Faith. I meant Justice, of course," he said patiently.

"Oh. You mean what happened at the Chantry? Well, I know you can control him. And he is a spirit, not a demon, so...to tell you the truth I'm not really worried about him," she smiled brightly back at Anders.

_Whoa, girl. Do you want him to think you're stupid too? _ Suddenly she very much wished she could slap herself.

He shook his head, but his lips twitched all the same, then his warm brown eyes were upon her again, making shiver inwardly as a tingling sensation started to spread through her body.

"Faith. You really live up to your name, you know." He was smiling now, a sidelong smile; the one she loved so much. The tingling sensation was now coursing through her veins, warm and enticing...

"How so?"

"You have too much faith in me," he quipped back, his shoulders sagging slightly.

"I'm still thinking about you losing control in front of me," she blurted out, then clapped a hand over her mouth.

To her surprise, he burst out laughing, something he rarely did, and she chuckled along with him. But Faith, being Faith, could not stop herself from prodding a bit more.

"Have you had many women?"

He stopped laughing and his eyes took on a mischievous glint, his smile somewhat suggestive.

"Oh, yes. A great deal of them. I've had men too. Though I confess I've had more women than men."

Faith felt like her eyes would pop out of their sockets.

"Mm-men?" She stammered out.

Anders nodded, his eyes twinkling.

"Does it bother you?" He asked curiously, his head tilting to one side, regarding her with the same warm, twinkling eyes.

"No, not at all. It's just surprising, that's all," Faith retorted quickly, her eyes now twinkling up a storm.

But Anders was suddenly serious once again. She could see his mind was a million years away.

"Karl was my first, you know. He taught me a lot of things..." His voice sounded sad, and she felt the urge to take him in her arms and console him. His eyes fixed themselves on hers again. "I don't care about gender when it comes to love. It's the person as a whole I value and would fall in love with, not the gender."

"It makes perfect sense, now that I think about it," she agreed and he smiled at her again, leaning forward slightly. He seemed pleased with her reaction and that filled her heart with even more happiness than she ever thought possible. "For a moment there, I thought you were going to say you aren't attracted to me," she added and was sorry to see his face fall again.

When he looked deeply into her eyes, all the humor had vanished, and he looked defeated and miserable.

"I said I'll hurt you. Please stop it, Faith."

"Why would you hurt me?"

"You've seen what I've become. I can't allow you to tie yourself to me. A fugitive apostate - an abomination. I'll break your heart." He bowed his head, his hands clenched together as if in prayer. "And that might kill me as surely as the templars."

She swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall. Forcing herself to be strong, she stood up and walked towards the food she had brought.

"I'll put these things back into the basket so you can nibble on some more later," she said automatically, keeping her voice free from any emotion. She took a deep breath and turned back to him. He was looking at her sadly now and it nearly broke her heart. "Actually, I also wanted to ask you something."

"Ask away," he replied, his voice a monotone.

"We'll be heading off to the Bone Pit, for another job. One that Athenril found for me. A merchant called Hubert owns it, and he says all his workers are missing and nobody wants to go. He says people say the place is cursed, but he doesn't believe in curses. And neither do I, as a matter of fact. It's a bit far, so we'll be travelling there with bedrolls to spend the night on the way. Then we get there, take care of the problem and travel back here...another day and a half, of course." Her tone was now all businesslike. It helped to be talking about this, because she had gotten everything under control. Or so she thought.

"Of course, Faith. You know you can count on me," he said with a smile.

Her control was slipping again. She cursed inwardly and nodded at him, forcing a smile on her face.

"Thanks, Anders. See you tomorrow morning at The Hanged Man, then. I have to run. I want to go look at any records they keep of the Bone Pit at the Viscount's Keep before it closes for the day."

"No worries, I'll be there. Take care, Faith," came Anders's soft reply.

Then she was out the door in a flash, closing it behind her.

It was several minutes before she could still the quick beating of her heart and finally take a deep breath and leave.

She didn't know that at the other side of the door Anders was having a hard time himself.

...

Faith spent the afternoon doing some research on the Bone Pit. One of the main things she discovered was the fact that the mine had once been owned by Tevinters, who actually sacrificed slaves to dragonlings. She read one of the letters from Prefex Santarius where he described how each of the slaves had been pushed into the Bone Pit quarry and the screams coming from the survivors as the dragonlings tore into them. Another thing she read was that the Veil was exceedingly thin in that area. She realized at once that the disappearance of Hubert's workers might just have something to do with dragons, so when she left the keep, she immediately knew what she had to do.

She ran around looking for jewelry that had fire resistance enchantments and bought some amulets and rings to equip her party with, then managed to arrive back home in time for dinner.

The following morning she arrived at The Hanged Man rather early, with Bethany in tow. She quickly went up the stairs to Varric's room and knocked on the door.

Varric's muffled voice bade her to enter, and she did, Bethany sleepily following. He was having a hearty breakfast and asked them to sit. He quickly stood up and called Edwina asking her to bring the sisters some breakfast, amidst Faith's protests and Bethany's giggles.

"You're here early, Hawke. Anything wrong?" He asked, while he munched on a warm muffin.

"I've researched the Bone Pit, and it seems we're up against something we have to prepare for. This is why I arrived earlier, Varric. I also wanted to catch you still asleep, just to see if you slept naked, but alas, I was too late for that..."

Varric burst out laughing while Bethany's jaw hit the floor and she exclaimed, "Sister!" in a horrified tone.

"Ah, Blondie! You're here early, as well! Good to see you! Come in!" Varric said loudly and Faith felt the butterflies in her stomach before she turned in time to see Anders detach himself from the doorframe he had been leaning on comfortably. He had a smile on his face and his eyes lit up when they rested on Faith. He walked to the large table and sat down on the chair next to Faith.

"We're having breakfast here?" He quizzed while he turned to Bethany, who was sitting next to Varric and smiled. "Hello Bethany, nice to see you."

"I'll just have to tell Edwina to bring in another plate," Varric said as he got up, but Faith protested.

"No, Varric, please. We both had breakfast already. Anders is welcome to have my share, I'm really not hungry."

Bethany said nothing but her stomach growled at that moment and everyone burst out laughing.

"You are a poor liar, Hawke," Varric grinned.

At that moment, Edwina appeared with the extra dishes and they all shared the food amongst them. It was a pleasant enough meal, and Anders and Bethany started to talk about the mages' situation while Faith had a cup of tea and listened. Varric ate and watched all of them closely. Faith's face seemed to light up every time she looked at Anders, and he could see Anders was avoiding eye contact. Varric smiled at this and thought that this trip would be extremely interesting.

Once the meal was over and done with, Faith started to explain the reason why she had arrived early to Varric.

"We need to get to Hightown to enchant some things over at Bodahn's."

"We do?" Varric retorted.

"Yes. I think I know what we'll be up against when we arrive at the Bone Pit. So I've bought some fire resistant runes and hope that all our clothes can be enchanted properly."

"Fire resistant?" Anders echoed. "You mean -"

"Yes, Anders," she turned to him, her face resolute and determined. "I think dragons are to blame for the workers' disappearances."

...

The trip to the Bone Pit was uneventful. They made camp when it got dark and had some dried meat and bread for dinner, then spread out their bedrolls to get some sleep. It was a warm evening, and the Bone Pit wasn't far from where they were spending the night. So they huddled next to the fire on their bedrolls and slowly drifted off to sleep.

The following morning, Faith woke up and caught Anders watching her closely, and she smiled and stretched. They had found a brook close by and she headed over there to wash up before breakfast. Anders's eyes followed her until she disappeared into the bushes. Then he sighed, got up and started to put away his bedroll.

When Faith returned, both Varric and Bethany were up as well, and they sat around a fire Varric had built and had some tea and biscuits, then each took turns going to the brook to wash up and get ready for the day. The sun was already warming the water but Bethany used some magic to warm it even more and Faith had no doubt Anders would be doing the same for himself and Varric.

Once they were all packed and ready, they set off silently. The climb to the actual mine was steep and treacherous, but they had made it to the top by mid-morning.

Faith had distributed the enchanted jewelry to them the night before, so all of them wore rings and amulets. Varric's tailored leather armor had a fire resistant rune enchanted into it. Bethany's robes had one as well, but Anders did not. His feathered coat was threadbare and try as he might, Sandal could not enchant it. Faith had been very worried about this, until Bodahn had suggested to Sandal to try to enchant his staff, which Sandal had agreed to while crying out "Enchantment!" happily. So Anders had some extra protection after all, which had finally put Faith's mind to rest. Only when she had made sure that they were all well protected against fire did she allow Sandal to enchant her armor with the two runes she had left.

When they reached a turn along the path, they came upon some looters who were trying to get away with some valuables left behind by the miners and were attacked. They fought and dispatched them quickly.

The whole place had a smell of burned wood and ash floated around the air. When they finally entered the mine, they were ambushed by several dragonlings and a small dragon and fought for their dear lives. In the end, Faith's preparation had paid off - their fire resistant clothes and jewelry saved them from the dragon's fiery breath.

They trudged along, while Faith looted some corpses. Bethany clicked her tongue in disapproval at this, and Varric chuckled. They were attacked four more times but always by dragonlings, and Faith was beginning to wonder if they were ever going to encounter anything bigger in these caverns.

They came upon another cavern deeper in, and met a red-haired man who ran towards them, flailing his hands wildly.

"Thank the Maker! I thought I was going to be eaten by them dragons for sure!"

"Hold on," Faith interrupted, "what has happened here? Where did the dragons come from?"

"We was mining a new tunnel when dragons poured in from the opening and attacked us."

"Any other survivors?"

"Some of my fellows ran up to the entrance. I don't know if they made it out alive. I was trapped here, too scared to get away, till you arrived."

"Get going, but try not to get eaten!" Faith urged.

"Don't have to tell me twice," the nervous miner said, "You should leave too! But don't go that way! There's this huge dragon!"

He ran off, and Faith peered up the direction he had pointed at.

"Ah, I wondered if the dragons had left their nest unguarded..." Anders said sarcastically as he stood beside her, his eyes twinkling.

She smiled back at him and looked up again. She could barely discern an opening in the distance.

They moved onwards, walking up some steps, finally arriving at the opening the man had pointed at. Faith braced herself. Then, squaring her shoulders, she went through.

They saw nothing but a large clearing. Apparently they were on top of one of the mine ledges. There was nothing to be seen.

Faith was about to curse at the man for scaring them to death for nothing, when they all heard distinct flapping coming from above, and the ground shook when the huge dragon landed with a deafening roar. She whisked out her twin daggers, adopted a defensive pose and then attacked.

Anders sent out a freezing spell at it. Bethany was already shooting spells at it from where she was standing and Bianca seemed to have a life of her own in Varric's hands. The dragon roared again and Faith backstabbed it, though she could only reach one of his huge feet. She managed to get out of the way before it trampled her, and without warning, the dragon opened its mouth and let out a blast of fire directly at Anders and Bethany.

Faith watched in horror but fortunately, Anders jumped lithely out of the way, while Varric stood his ground and Bethany twisted to the left. She eyed the beast and decided that the only way she was going to effectively hurt it was to get to its underbelly where there were no scales protecting it. She also knew that she would risk getting crushed by it and trampled on, but she could see no other way.

Nimbly she ran off until she was under the dragon and tried a twin blade maneuver, but directly above her head. Her poisoned blades sank into the dragon's soft underbelly and the dragon screamed in pain while it flapped its wings, throwing Bethany and Anders to the ground. Varric had sneaked behind the dragon on its opposite side and the arrows were now embedding themselves on the dragons right side.

Both Bethany and Anders scrambled quickly back on their feet and dodged the dragon's direct attack while Faith escaped being trampled on and positioned herself to run under once again. She twisted and turned, nimbly cutting through the dragon skin again and again, and the dragon finally let out a roar that stunned her.

Anders watched in horror as the dragon descended on Faith's stunned, slight form and rushed forward, grabbing her in his arms and pulling her out of the way just in time. The dragon swished its tail and caught Bethany, who went down. He turned and sent out a healing wave at her and Bethany got back on her feet again.

Faith disentangled herself from Anders's arms. The dragon was now bleeding profusely from all the arrows sticking out from its sides and underbelly as well as the deep gashes Faith had made with her poisoned daggers. It was slowing down and tiring - the poison was a debilitating poison and was taking its toll.

Bethany fired a horror spell at it that made it stand still and at that moment, Faith ran and jumped nimbly on its back, holding on to its horns as she slid one of her daggers under its mouth and along the long neck as far as she could reach. The dragon gave a screech and reared up on its hind legs, and Faith slid off easily and somersaulted out of its path running to the opposite side quickly. The dragon was now half slumped against the ground, and its neck was easier to reach.

Gathering momentum, Faith ran and jumped on its neck again, and brought both daggers under its mouth. One of them went downwards, and the other one embedded itself in the roof of its mouth, finally killing it. She quickly got off, but miscalculated this time, and the dragon's head and neck started to fall directly on top of her.

Anders felt his heart in his throat and fear gripped him as he ran wildly to where he had last seen Faith. There was dust and ash all around, and he had difficulty seeing, but she had to be there.

_Sweet Andraste, let her be alive! I can heal her, I can do this, I can - _

He tried to move the dragon's heavy head but could not. He searched wildly on the ground for Faith's feet or arms or -

"Looking for something?" A voice called out on his right, and he saw Faith standing a little way off, smiling, far from where the dragon's head and neck had fallen. He gave a cry of joy and rushed to her gathering her in his arms, in front of Varric and Bethany who both grinned and turned to walk towards the exit to give them some privacy.

"Thank the Maker!" Anders groaned throatily into Faith's hair as he held her close.

She trembled a little in his arms and his grip tightened. Then he moved his head down and his lips kissed the top of her head, his hands gently massaging her back while he continued to murmur his thanks to the Maker and Andraste.

"Hey, I'm fine, Anders, really!" She said softly after a while. They broke away, but he still held her at arms' length while his eyes locked into hers.

"Andraste's flaming knickers, how did you do that? I thought it had fallen on you!"

"Anders, I'm a rogue. I can move pretty fast. And that dragon was really slow," she laughed.

He gave her a tender smile and the tingling sensation she was feeling travelled down to her groin and legs and her lips parted.

"It's hot up here, isn't it Bethany? And not just because of the dragon..." Varric's voice carried to where they were standing and they both blushed faintly and let go of each other.

"Help me cut its belly open, Varric. I bet we'll find treasure inside," Faith said wickedly and Anders groaned as he moved out of their way fast.

...


	5. The Deep Roads Part 1

_**Many thanks to all those who have put this fic on their alerts, as well as those of you who favorited it. **_

_**Thank you PheonRen for your help in making the chapters readable! You are da best! :D **_

_**I decided to put up Part 1 and 2, so double chapter today! :D **_

_**I also wanted to let everyone know that I have finished writing 'Warden Who Me' and will be posting the last two chatpers soon!**_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 5 - The Deep Roads, Part 1

Faith sighed to herself. She had no jobs left to do. Everything had been settled. She had been talking to her mother and Bethany about the expedition. While she knew her mother was apprehensive about the whole idea, she also knew that she understood that it was necessary.

That morning as she walked to The Hanged Man she felt somewhat uneasy. The fact that they would be underground with a bunch of workers and Bartrand had her thinking about things and overanalyzing them. She didn't trust Bartrand, but since Varric was his younger brother, felt it wise to leave it up to him to do the talking when they met. She would then hand over the money, the maps and smile or do something silly to ensure at least a smile on Bartrand's part.

No. She didn't like Bartrand at all.

Varric waved to her as soon as she entered his room. Bethany had come with her and was smiling at Varric as well, and Faith grinned as she walked up to him.

"I've managed to save over a hundred and forty gold, Varric. I guess we can go talk to Bartrand about the expedition now, huh?" Faith said with a smile.

Varric grinned back and nodded enthusiastically.

"Let's go. Bartrand will be so pleased!"

On their way out, they ran into Anders.

"I was at your uncle's and he told me you'd be here," he said to Faith. Then turning to Bethany and Varric: "Hello Bethany. How's Bianca, Varric?"

"Itching to kill some darkspawn," Varric replied with a big grin on his face.

"Well, she won't be disappointed then," Anders replied with a chuckle. He turned slightly to look at Faith who mumbled something about heading over to Bartrand's and smiled to himself.

...

The idea of the Deep Roads did not sit well with Anders at all. In the first place, he was claustrophobic. This was something that had developed ever since he had been kept in solitary confinement in the Circle of Ferelden. He was keeping his emotions in check, however, and he knew he was making the effort solely for Faith.

The second thing that worried him about the Deep Roads was the fact that both sisters would be exposed to the Taint when fighting darkspawn. He did not want them catching the Blight, but recognized that his major concern was Faith. In the midst of all his worry, he did remember how he got the maps and that Stroud and a group of Grey Wardens would be in the Deep Roads themselves. This alone gave Anders some hope that there would be a solution if they ran into the whole Blight problem.

Without really meaning to, Anders fell in step beside Faith and continued to walk by her side, giving her sidelong glances as they walked up the stairs towards Hightown.

He had accompanied her when she was out doing jobs ever since they had met. And the fact of the matter was that as a person, Faith was a loveable scamp. Her wit and humor were not lost on him; he enjoyed them as much as her fervent desire to help all mages. His mind relived the time when they had rescued Feynriel from the slavers. She had supported the boy and had urged him to join the Dalish.

Anders smiled to himself. He could see why she disliked the Chantry so much. Her father had been an apostate, and judging from the way Bethany spoke about him when she was around, had schooled his children into the idea that the Chantry was unfair to say the least. Then there was the fact that Faith immediately would fly into a temper if she saw injustice in any way or form. Not that he would not do the same. But in her case, it was endearing to watch.

And probably what had made him love her even more. For all that Justice constantly warned him against Faith, his friend was fighting a losing battle.

Anders was already completely smitten and head over heels in love with her.

...

Bartrand started to yell at Varric as soon as they arrived. Faith felt a little sorry for him, but smiled when she saw Varric smile at his brother.

"Bartrand! So suspicious! I have, in fact, brought you our new business partner!"

"Partner!" Bartrand boomed at him. "You nug-humping idiot! Why did you go and promise partnership for?"

"Because, dear brother, if we don't get this expedition going, we won't have anything left. We need the money, remember?"

Bartrand's hand went to his beard. "You have a point," he replied, absent-mindedly stroking it.

Faith then interrupted their conversation.

"Ah, there is so much love here. I feel so welcome!"

Bartrand then turned to her, his eyes narrowing. "What I would love is the coin for the expedition. How about it, human?"

"I do, in fact, have your coin," Faith answered with a smile. She handed Bartrand 50 sovereigns and her smile turned into a chuckle. Bartrand's look of surprise was just priceless.

"What did I tell you, Bartrand? Not bad for a human, eh?" Varric grinned.

Bartrand grinned at Faith and she grinned back. "Now all we need is a map to point our entrance into the Deep Roads, and we're all set," he said happily.

Faith dug into her backpack and handed Bartrand the maps Anders had given her a few months back. Bartrand stared at them in awe.

"Those may be just what we need," she said nodding at the maps Bartrand now held in his hands.

"What! Three, four entrances into the Deep Roads? All in the Free Marshes? Where did you get these?"

"A wizard did it," Anders chimed in, his voice shaking slightly with suppressed laughter.

"Well, color me astounded! You'd better wrap up any business you have around here. We'll be heading off as soon as you're ready, my friend," Bartrand said happily as he shook Faith's hand.

Faith smiled back as Bartrand produced some glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Let's drink on our partnership!" He announced as he poured the wine and handed Faith, Bethany, Anders and Varric each a glass.

Even though Faith was smiling and talking happily about the venture, she still could not shake her uneasiness, which for some strange reason had suddenly grown. The only thing she was sure of was that the idea of the Deep Roads had an aura of impending doom for her.

...

They were all at a meeting with Bartrand and would be heading off into the Deep Roads as soon as he finished giving out instructions. Faith kept her tone light and Varric made a couple of jokes; several of the workers snickered and Bartrand even smiled. Then Faith's mother made an appearance.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Ser Dwarf, but I need to speak to my children."

Bethany immediately started to protest. "Mother! I told you I'd be alright. You shouldn't interfere!"

Leandra shook her head and turned to Faith. "Are you planning on taking Bethany with you?" She asked in a reproachful tone.

"I can't leave Bethany behind, mother. I need her," Faith replied quietly, meeting her mother's gaze calmly.

"Mother, I'll be fine! I want to go! Besides, it's the templars or the darkspawn. At least I'm allowed to fight darkspawn!"

"It won't be fine! What if something were to happen to you? Bethany, I beg you, don't go!" But Bethany shook her head. Leandra turned her worried gaze on Faith again. "You...I understand you wanting to go, but leave your sister behind, I beg you!"

Faith bowed her head while Bethany hugged her mother.

"Mother, please, we talked about this. Do not worry so about me. I can take care of myself...you'll see."

Leandra sighed but before she turned to leave, looked at Faith disapprovingly. Then she was gone.

Bartrand now walked up to both sisters.

"Personal drama over with? Good. Let's go!" He barked.

"Been a long time in coming, huh brother?" Varric remarked cheerfully.

"That it has. The Deep Roads await!" Bartrand cheered.

They set off, walking and joking amongst themselves, but Faith was unnaturally quiet and subdued. Anders caught up with Faith and walked beside her.

"Your sister will be fine, Faith. I'll personally see to it," he said quietly.

She smiled at him but was serious again as they headed out to the wilderness. She hoped Anders was right but strangely, this was the only time his words had failed to calm her.

...

They reached the entrance to the Deep Roads the following day. The whole group had fallen silent as they made their way down into the tunnels and the only sound that was heard was the crackling sound their lit torches made.

Their progress was slow but sure, as they cleared out some debris along the way. After what seemed like an eternity to Faith, Bartrand barked orders for them to set up camp for the night and they got busy. Faith had brought bedrolls and Varric even produced a tent.

"It would have been nice to sleep in a tent last night, you know," Faith chided.

"Hey, now, don't get all snarky with me, Hawke. This tent is for you and your sister, seeing as you are the only women here. Anders and I can sleep on our bedrolls right outside the tent. We'll be protecting you," Varric grinned.

Faith grinned back at him and walked towards the fire pit that had been lit. Dinner was being cooked and smelled delicious. She sat in front of the fire and waited patiently for her turn to get some food.

The Deep Roads was dark, silent and cold. It was a change from the usual warm weather that Kirkwall boasted. Faith shivered a bit and as her eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, saw that they had set camp close to an underground spring. She turned to Bethany who was sitting beside her.

"A spring! You think you can heat the water up so we can wash after dinner, Bethany?"

"Sure thing, sister," Bethany smiled.

"Nothing like getting clean to fight darkspawn, huh?" Anders said sarcastically as he sat beside Faith, his eyes twinkling.

Faith stuck out her tongue at him and turned to Varric who was approaching them with a bowl of hot stew in each hand.

"Blondie, go get yours. These are for the girls."

Anders's stomach growled in response and Faith giggled, thanking Varric as she took a bowl and handed it to her sister. She then took the second bowl and watched as Anders stood up and headed to the cook, Varric right behind him.

They ate in silence, and when they were done, took their bowls back. Bethany and Faith soon wandered off to the spring, to look for a secluded spot in which to wash. They found a pool in what seemed to be an alcove cut into the stone. Bethany heated the water, and soon both sisters were splashing in the water, thoroughly enjoying their warm bath.

Once they were done, they dried themselves with the towels they had brought along and returned to the fire pit, sitting next to Anders and Varric.

"We'll probably follow the stream for the most part. It seems to head further in," Faith remarked. "Your turn!"

Anders smiled in response and he and Varric headed out to the alcove to wash. As soon as they returned, the sisters bade them good night, while they both spread out their bedrolls in front of the entrance to the tent and made themselves comfortable.

"We'll be heading off in six hours exactly, so get some rest!" Bartrand yelled at all of them.

But Faith hardly heard him, for as soon as she had crawled into her bedroll, she had fallen into a deep and dreamless sleep.

...

They reached an area in the tunnels that was covered in debris. One of the dwarves ran up to Bartrand and twisted his hands nervously as he delivered some bad news.

"The road ahead is completely caved in. It would take weeks to clear up and the scouts say that the side passages are too dangerous," he told Bartrand nervously.

"Useless!" Bartrand shouted at the poor dwarf, as he hit him squarely on the jaw. The dwarf toppled down unconscious beside him. "What am I paying you blighters for?" He yelled at the rest of them, who shook their heads and looked away.

"See, this is why you bring someone like me along," Faith remarked and Bartrand turned to her scowling.

"Problems, brother?" Varric chuckled. "Should we try to find a way around?"

"If you're going to do it, just do it, Varric, and leave me alone!" Bartrand replied crossly.

"We'll try. If we come back screaming, then you'll know it isn't safe," Varric chuckled back.

"I hate the bloody Deep Roads." Came Anders's whine from behind her.

At that moment, Bodahn appeared in front of them, wringing his hands worriedly.

"I'm sorry to add to your troubles, my friends...but I fear I must. It's Sandal. He's probably wandered into the side passages by himself and is missing. Please, look for him. He doesn't understand the danger he is facing..."

Faith saw Bodahn's shoulders shake with suppressed sobs and felt sorry for him.

"Don't worry, Bodahn. We'll bring him back in one piece. Or maybe two. Hard to say, really." She saw Anders's lips twitch but Bodahn wrung his hands.

"Poor Sandal," he muttered sadly.

They moved out into one of the side passages carefully.

"Darkspawn up ahead. I can still sense them," Anders said quietly behind her. She controlled her urge to shudder and turned to give them each some debilitating poison to coat their weapons.

Once their weapons were properly coated with the poison, she squared her shoulders and moved forward to the opening. The darkspawn seemed to materialize from the very ground and surrounded her instantly.

But Faith was Faith. In a moment, she had backstabbed one of them, and slashed another one's throat, while Bethany cried out and ran forward, shooting a firestorm spell at the whole area. She saw Anders run forward and cry out something about sucking on a fireball and felt like laughing like a madwoman while the sounds of the explosions from Bethany's firestorm drowned out the sounds her sharp daggers made as they sliced through the darkspawn around her.

Soon they all lay dead at her feet, and she grinned at the sight.

But this was just the first of a couple of darkspawn battles.

...

They were ambushed a second time but this time there were fewer of them. Ugly creatures, what was left of their skin stretched tautly against their skulls and skeletons; their eyes lifeless and at the same time filled with a madness that was fearful to behold.

Bethany was fighting right beside her. Varric kept a distance and she saw Anders run the short gap that separated them and placed himself directly between the darkspawn and Bethany.

The fight was even shorter than the previous ones, but for some reason, Anders was now taking out a piece of cloth from his coat and cleaning the blood off Bethany's face. When he made a move for Faith, she burst out laughing.

"Honestly, Anders. You look like my mother," she quipped.

"Stay still. I'm not playing games here," Anders practically growled back at her and her eyes widened with surprise at this. She let him clean the rest of the blood off her face without further comment.

"Did you swallow any of the blood?" His next question had a sharp tone to it, and her puzzled eyes caught and held his narrowed ones.

"We're not idiots, Anders," she shot back. "We've fought and killed darkspawn before. We know their blood is poisonous. Have you forgotten Aveline and her husband Wesley?"

Anders's shoulders sagged and drooped and he let out a sigh. "I'm sorry. I'm just...really worried about your exposure to the Taint, Faith."

"I understand. I really do. I just wanted you to laugh about it. Sorry about my stupid comment."

"No, your comment wasn't stupid Faith. It's just that this is no laughing matter," Anders replied, his voice a whisper.

"What is that?" Bethany's voice cut through their conversation and their eyes followed her pointing finger.

There were some stairs leading to what looked like a shallow pit, most of the sides covered with something that looked like spider webs from where they were standing.

"Oh great. I wondered if there was something else beside darkspawn in these tunnels. I guess I got my answer," Faith said rolling her eyes. "Just what we needed. A healthy dose of spiders. My day is complete."

"Spiders? I hate spiders," Bethany whispered behind her.

"Who doesn't?" Varric's voice came from behind them.

Faith went down the stairs slowly and carefully, the group following behind her quietly. She saw a number of chests on the ground, and guessed correctly that they must have belonged to the skeletons that littered the area. She kept her movements quiet, and slowly looted the chests. At the other side of the pit, some stairs leading up to a stone door caught her eye.

Faith had brought along her mabari, but he had stayed behind in the camp. She now concentrated and called to the animal. Sure enough, he barked down the stairs to where she was, jumping around her happily and wagging his tail.

"Hush, Paws. Focus now," she commanded and instantly the dog was still, his pose alert and at the ready.

They stood in the silence of the pit for quite some time, until Faith let out a breath of relief. No spiders. She nodded to them and calmly turned to go up the stairs, her group following closely.

As soon as she was about to reach the last step, a horrible hissing filled the air and about three dozen giant spiders dropped down from the high ceiling above them. Faith let out a curse and ran forward, kicking a combustion grenade at the foul things and killing six in the process. The rest closed in on the group, making clicking and hissing noises.

Anders shot out a cone of cold spell at five of them, while Varric's arrows slowed the spiders to a crawl. Bethany's firestorm enveloped the creatures and did away with about a dozen more while Faith jumped around the rest, aiming at their bellies and keeping nimbly away from their fangs.

The ones that proved more difficult to kill were the poisonous ones, that spit out poison at them and the corrupted spiders with their hard shells. Fortunately, they all worked quickly as a team and kept their mouths closed, moving away from the poisonous spit and keeping their distance from the corrupted ones.

When all the spiders lay dead before them, Faith turned to them with a smile on her lips.

"Now that's what I call team work!" She exclaimed happily. The next moment however, her whole body tensed as she heard the loudest hissing noise she had ever heard. An enormous spider dropped down from the ceiling on the other side of the pit. It was so big that when it landed, the dirt ground shook slightly under its many legs.

Faith's eyes bulged slightly with terror at the sheer size of the thing that was making its way directly at her. She felt her heart sink when she saw Paws lunge at the beast, growling and barking. She needn't have worried, however. Paws was simply too fast for it.

She quickly realized that while it was fast enough, it wasn't as fast as its smaller kind, so she took advantage of this fact. Lithely, she disappeared and quickly reappeared for a backstab, while Paws kept it distracted.

The rest of her party then came to life, and Varric shot slowing arrows at the monster, while Bethany's horror spell made it convulse on the spot, completely still otherwise. The fight dragged on. Faith slashed its underbelly and shuddered when black blood oozed out. She quickly made an assassination move and the spider turned over, its multiple black eyes now grey and dead.

She dropped to her knees, totally exhausted. Anders was at her side in an instant.

"I've got you. Here, hold still." He worked quickly and quietly, applying a rejuvenation spell while he inspected her for any wounds.

"We need to find water fast. I can't stand the smell of the thing," Faith said through gritted teeth.

"No water around here, I'm afraid. We walked away from the main path looking for a way around the cave in, remember?" Varric said quietly behind Anders.

Anders handed her his water skin with a piece of clean, soft cloth.

"Here, use this. Get your face and hands clean." His soft voice and warm brown eyes made her heart somersault.

As soon as she could, Faith went up the stairs to open the stone door. A single chest stood in the center of the room and she made her way to it. She looted its contents and sat down on the stony floor for a few minutes, the rest following suit.

They took out some dried beef jerky from their backpacks while Faith divided a loaf of bread amongst themselves. Paws gobbled his portion up in a flash. He sat next to Faith, his eyes alert and watchful while the rest finished their meal.

"Let's get going," Varric said slowly. "We still have to find a way around the cave in and look for Bodahn's boy."

...


	6. The Deep Roads Part 2

Chapter 6 - The Deep Roads, Part 2

They made their way deeper into the tunnel when they were again ambushed by darkspawn. This time, the darkspawn appeared right where Bethany and Anders were standing and Faith had to turn back to attack them. Once that was over, Faith looked up at Anders, a grim expression on her face.

"Can't say they aren't organized. They sure do know how and when to attack."

"There's a clearing up ahead. Hopefully we'll not run into more of them," he replied, the expression on his face softening as he looked down at her.

Faith felt a shiver run down her spine. She never saw that look on his face when he looked at anyone else. She looked away, trying not to let that look melt her on the spot. "Do you feel any up ahead?" she asked as she continued walking down the tunnel.

"I don't, but they do seem to appear suddenly sometimes, so I don't think that's exactly reassuring."

"Did you have to point that out, Blondie?" Varric groaned.

They came upon a set of stairs and stopped, dumbstruck at the scene before them. Sandal stood in the middle of about two dozen dead darkspawn, staring off to the distance. Faith couldn't believe her eyes. A dead ogre, frozen solid in its tracks, stood right beside Sandal. Had this simple-minded dwarf really killed all these darkspawn and an ogre too?

"Well I'll be...isn't that Bodahn's boy?" The awe and reverence in Varric's voice described exactly the way she felt.

Nobody had noticed Bethany bowing her head and touching her forehead as if she was feeling ill at that moment. Bethany quickly summoned all her strength and quickly overcame the wave of nausea she was feeling. She had wiped the darkspawn blood off her face, but she knew she had accidentally swallowed some of it during the fight. "I can't believe he managed to survive this entire time!" She said, ignoring the throbbing in her temples.

"Hello!" Sandal called out to them happily.

Faith approached Sandal and knelt before him.

"I'd really like to know how you killed all of them!" She chuckled, her eyes twinkling.

"Boom!" Sandal exclaimed, holding out a smooth transparent-looking stone with a rune engraved on it.

"And how did you do that?" Faith asked, pointing at the frozen ogre.

"Not enchantment!" Sandal replied happily.

They all stared at the ogre for a few minutes.

"Sandal, you must go to Bodahn. You must go to your father," Faith finally managed to say. "He is worried about you. You must go that way." She pointed the way back to the camp.

"I like Bodahn," Sandal nodded enthusiastically and walked away in the direction Faith had told him.

"Smart boy," Varric mused. Then turning to Faith he urged them to continue. They still had to find the way around the cave in.

They went up some steps and found themselves in another tunnel, where they were again attacked by darkspawn, but this time they were ready for them and quickly dispatched them. An emissary appeared suddenly where Anders and Bethany were shooting their spells and Faith yelled at them to look out. Anders was already leaping out of the way, while Bethany summoned fire and fried them all to a crisp.

Faith found that she had to focus harder on the battle that time to keep herself from staring at Anders. When he glowed with magic, it reminded her of that look on his face earlier. That look that she knew deep down inside meant something more, something deeper than just a smile.

"They keep on popping up everywhere, don't they?" Anders quipped.

"Remind me to express my delight later," Faith deadpanned as she made her way down a set of steps into a large area where four darkspawn bolters stood, their crossbows at the ready. Anders quickly froze three of them, while Bethany sent a horror spell at the fourth one. Faith quickly dispatched them all and suddenly, the look on her face changed.

"Water!" She exclaimed as she ran to the far end of the vast stone room.

Anders grinned as he watched her race towards the water. Her simple, childlike delight warmed his heart. It was almost not so bad, being in the Deep Roads. Watching the pleasure and joy she experienced from such a simple thing took him away from the old memories that threatened to close in on him in this place.

Sure enough, a small brook was bubbling merrily along its way. She quickly knelt in front of it and inspected it before putting her hand inside. The water was clear, and she smiled happily and started to splash some of it on her face and neck, enjoying the feeling of the cold liquid as it ran down.

Anders managed, through sheer strength of will, not to stare at the tiny droplets as they snaked down her flawless skin and disappeared into the collar of her leather jerkin. He shouldn't be thinking like that at all. _No, you shouldn't._ He ignored Justice and sighed. The look of almost sensual delight on her face made looking away harder than he could have ever imagined.

They all sat next to the brook for a moment, resting before they continued along the way. They snacked on some beef jerky at Anders's insistence as well.

"You know, I'll probably be addicted to beef jerky after we're done with this place," he said happily, shoving a large piece into his mouth and Faith chuckled at this. Her eyes slowly travelled around the area, taking in all the details. Further up ahead she could make out a set of stairs leading up to what she thought was a door. What really caught her attention was a lone chest at a far end of the room. She washed her hands and drank some water, then stood up and walked to it, removing its contents.

"Fortunately for us, we all have large backpacks," Varric remarked. "I have a feeling they will be heavy by the time we are done with this place."

"I'm leaving the junk behind," Faith said, grimacing slightly at the raven feather she held in her hands. "Honestly, the things people put into chests!"

They all trudged up the stairs and stood in front of the stone door.

"Darkspawn ahead," Anders warned.

She braced herself for it and kicked the door open. An ogre stood in the corner of the room, and it charged directly at her.

She nimbly sidestepped out of the way, but the ogre kept going, its momentum causing it to ram into the opposite wall. Its horns were stuck into the stone, immobilizing it temporarily. Faith grinned wildly as she backstabbed it several times, until the ogre was dead.

"That was too easy, wasn't it?" Anders grinned. But Faith had turned to him and motioned him to silence, asking him and the rest to stand still in their tracks.

"This room is trapped to oblivion," she cautioned as she went around disarming the traps. She counted eight traps total and grimaced when she thought that the outcome would have been very different if she had stuck her foot into one of the traps while that creature had been charging at her.

"Is the way clear now, sister?" Bethany called out, interrupting the unpleasant scene in her mind's eye.

"Yes, let's go," she replied opening the stone door before her.

They made their way along a stone path that twisted into another tunnel. Faith opened a chest with coin in it for a change and smiled at this. Then she stared up ahead and saw that the stone path they were on opened into a vast room. Something didn't feel right about this place and the air had a smell of...

"Everyone! Put on your fire resistant jewelry. I think there's a dragon up ahead!" She called out to them urgently.

"No wonder they call this the Dragon Age," Anders muttered as he slipped on his ring and necklace. "Bloody dragons everywhere..."

"What the heck is a dragon doing down here?" Varric complained.

...

The fight with the dragon was a tough one, but Faith managed to deal the killing blow while trying to keep out of the way of all the dragonlings it had summoned. The firestorm that Bethany summoned as well as the tempest spell that Anders cast also turned the odds in their favor. Paws was hurt during the fight, but it wasn't anything that Anders couldn't heal.

They went up the stone stairs that led to another tunnel while Varric grumbled something about "Dwarves being mad to live underground". Soon they found themselves at the entrance to a wider tunnel.

The first thing Faith heard was the underground stream and she instinctively knew they had finally managed to find the way around the cave in. Varric soon confirmed this for her.

"Ah! This goes right where we want it to. Let's go back and tell Bartrand. He'll be so pleased!"

Faith smiled at Varric as she turned around and led them back to the camp.

"We've found a way around the cave in, Bartrand," Varric announced as soon as they arrived.

"About time, too! All right you stupid nug-humpers," he called out to the rest of the men. "Let's pack up and go!"

They all set out towards the tunnel that Faith and her party had discovered, but did not set camp there. Instead they continued further underground. The tunnel they were walking along suddenly opened up into a vast cavern which glowed red in some places and blue in others. The place looked ancient and as if it had been undisturbed for many years. For a few minutes they could only gaze upon it in awe.

"Holy shit!" Varric exclaimed, which was exactly what Faith was thinking at that moment.

"How did you find out about this place anyway?" Faith asked him.

"Scavengers came here after the third Blight. They said it was a long-lost abandoned thaig. They weren't lying."

They soon discovered that the red glow was coming from a strange material embedded in the rocks. Anders informed them that the blue glow emanated from refined lyrium veins in the rock. The red glow was coming from raw lyrium. He'd never seen so much lyrium in a place before.

"All this lyrium is disturbing. It's making me feel dizzy and giving me a headache." Anders said, his hand on his forehead.

"Let's get away from it then," Faith said as she pointed to another section of the place, free from lyrium veins on the stone walls.

"Set camp!" Bartrand barked as they walked away.

"I guess that means we can finally eat and rest for the day," Faith said. "I can't wait to take a warm bath, too."

"You're not alone, sister. I feel so dirty right now," Bethany said as she wrinkled her nose in disgust. "Let's look for a secluded place. I'll heat the water up, you bring the soap and towels."

The girls left and Anders unpacked his bedroll and blanket, while Varric took out the tent from his back pack. They busied themselves setting up the tent for the sisters and as soon as they returned headed out to wash up themselves.

As soon as they returned, one of the dwarves came over to where they had set up their tent and bedrolls and announced dinner was ready.

They joked and relaxed during dinner. Faith was happy to see that Anders was looking better since they had moved away from all the lyrium. She turned to Bethany unexpectedly and found her sister gazing into the darkness beyond with a haunted look in her eyes.

"Is everything all right?" She asked rather sharply.

Bethany smiled at her and nodded. "Just fine. I'm just wondering what lies ahead, is all."

But even though Bethany continued to smile at her, Faith felt alarm bells ringing and could not shake the feeling that something was not right at all...

...

They informed Bartrand that they were going to explore the adjacent tunnels of the place. Bartrand nodded and waved them off. On the way, they stopped to chat with Bodahn and see how Sandal was doing. Bodahn was extremely grateful to Faith for bringing Sandal back, and while Faith insisted that she had nothing to do with it really, Bodahn continued to sing praises to her. He asked Sandal to thank her and Faith had to divert all the attention she was getting by selling the loot she had found while they had been back in the tunnels. Following an impulse she asked Sandal to enchant her armor with some electricity resistance runes she had and had Varric's armor enchanted as well.

They set off into the darkness. The place really was lovely, but eerie and foreboding as well. The glow coming from the red and blue lyrium along the stone walls only made the place seem more magical and ethereal at the same time.

They found a stone staircase, carved rather roughly into the stone as a matter of fact, leading downwards and decided to follow it. Upon reaching the bottom they were attacked by a golem and some shades.

After a while, they arrived at a massive stone door. Faith tugged on the handle and managed to pull it open. A set of stone steps led up to what looked like a stone altar with a strange red, glowing object on its center. They went up the steps slowly, their eyes fixed on the red object.

"What is this?" Faith asked as she eyed the object with interest. It seemed to be pulsating and alive.

"Whatever it is, it's magic. And not the good kind," Anders warned.

"It's shaped like an...idol of some kind," Varric murmured, his eyes on the object.

At that moment, Bartrand appeared at the door.

"Look at this, Bartrand! An idol made entirely of lyrium. It could be worth a fortune!" Varric called out happily, while Faith grabbed a hold of it and tossed it to Bartrand below.

Bartrand whistled as he turned the idol in his hand, while his eyes adopted a glazed-over look. "You could be right."

"Let's explore some more, Hawke," Varric urged and even though Faith found herself agreeing to what Varric was saying, deep inside her the alarm bells went off again.

"You do that," Bartrand whispered as he left the room, slamming the door shut behind him. The door had no visible handle to open from the side they were on.

"The door!" Faith cried out as she jumped down the stairs, sliding down the stone banister to get to the door faster.

To her dismay, she discovered that the door could only be opened from the other side - the side Bartrand was standing in.

"Bartrand!" Varric cried out. "The door has closed behind you! Open it!"

"You always did notice everything, didn't you, little brother?" Bartrand's amused voice came through the shut door.

"Are you crazy?" Varric yelled in disbelief. "Are you going to screw your brother over some stupid idol?"

"It's not just the idol," Bartrand replied as he caressed the stone figure lovingly. "The location of this thaig alone is worth millions and I'm not about to share that three ways. Good bye, brother."

"Bartrand! Bartrand!" Varric yelled over and over again. All his shouting was useless.

Bartrand had left them there to die.

...


	7. Death of a Pure Soul

_**Thanks to the lovely LadyCallia for her reviews and feedback and to PheonRen for making this fic readable! :D **_

_**Big twist up ahead! LOL **_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 7 - Death of a Pure Soul

It was madness. A madness that made Faith want to lose herself and scream at no one in particular. They were trapped in this tomb and had to make the best of it, until they managed to find their way back to the surface.

The first thing she did, was ration their provisions. Since they all knew it would probably be weeks before they could find a way back, they all accepted this without complaining. The second thing she did was organize them in case of an unexpected darkspawn attack. She could see Anders purse his lips as if in disapproval or deep thought, but he did not speak. Not just then. The third thing she did was plan ahead. They would follow the path they were walking on, since it was the only path they saw, but they would not separate. Under any circumstance. All of them nodded at this.

She was a natural leader, but this did not mean she wasn't afraid. She was more afraid than they could ever guess, but mainly for the people she cared about. Her eyes darted to Bethany for a moment, and suddenly the memory of her mother protesting inundated her mind. Vainly she wished she hadn't brought her along, but it was too late of course.

They followed her closely and soon were standing in front of a door - the only door around. Faith felt the danger before she opened it and braced herself. At least two dozen shades materialized in the room inside, but she really cringed at the golem in the center of the room that came to life.

Bethany gave a cry as she hurled a Winter's Grasp spell directly at the golem, which froze and immobilized it so she was able to leap around and slash into a few shades before attacking it directly. Anders's Chain Lightning Spell did the trick though, the rest of the shades quickly disappeared upon dying and she was left to finish off the golem, as more shades made their sudden appearance and her two mages concentrated on killing them rather than the golem. She heard the arrows coming from Varric's crossbow speed up, and thanked the Maker he was as fast as he was. The shades just kept coming and the golem refused to die.

As usual, her team proved to be outstanding. Anders had fired a second Winter's Grasp at the golem just in time to stop it from smashing its gigantic fist down on her skull and she tried a Vendetta move that did the trick. The golem toppled over and fell onto the stone floor with a resounding thud, sending up a cloud of dust around it. Faith leapt on the remaining shades that were moving directly towards the two mages in the group, as shades usually do, and managed to slash into them quite nicely. Varric's arrows dispatched six and her daggers finally finished the rest of them off.

It was while she was opening the chests in the room that she came to realize that Anders was standing next to her, his eyes following her every movement, which made her turn abruptly and regard him quizzically.

"No, nothing," he said slowly, but Faith frowned at this and he smiled at her. "Well, I just wanted to tell you I don't think we'll be needing any darkspawn attack tactics down here. I think we'll be running into far more _**magical**_ things down here than darkspawn."

"Ah, I see." Faith now realized why he had looked the way he had when she had presented their course of action to the party. "So what do you suggest we do then?"

She did not mean to be rude, but she sounded rude at the moment and Anders, who had a temper to begin with flushed with anger, causing her to blink at him.

"I'm merely saying that we should plan tactics against magical creatures, not darkspawn, that's all," he replied in a huff, his eyes flashing dangerously.

"There's no need to get so angry about it," she retorted, close to losing her temper as well.

She brushed by him and focused on opening the last chest in the room, then turned to face Anders and the rest of her party. Bethany was looking at them sadly, while Varric's eyes were focused on a point in the ceiling. Anders was still standing where she had left him.

"Anders just made a very valid point. I think we should focus on what we'd be more likely to find around here. So far it's shades, so I agree that we may find creatures that aren't darkspawn."

"This place is riddled with lyrium, so it makes sense, doesn't it?" Anders said, still bristling.

"No one is saying it doesn't, Blondie," Varric said quietly and Anders relaxed a bit.

Bethany was still staring at them with sad eyes.

"Are you all right, sister?" Faith asked, concern in her eyes and written all over her face.

Bethany blushed then. She hated being the center of attraction and preferred to remain in the shadows, helping out whenever possible. She lowered her eyes for a moment before answering - her long, dark lashes standing out against the paleness of her cheeks. It was then that Faith noticed how pale she was.

"We're all worried and frightened, sister. I don't want you to start to fight, because if you do, it will mean this place is winning," Bethany whispered.

Everyone heard her, however.

Faith blushed this time, her eyes quickly darting over to Anders who was looking at her guiltily.

"I'm sorry to have -" they both began at the same time, then stopped and looked at each other in surprise. A smile quickly followed and soon they were chuckling at each other.

"Oh, good," Varric said, amusement in his voice. "I was about to suggest something that would have been more embarrassing for you two. Like 'kiss and make up'."

Bethany smiled at the look on Faith's face but when she saw Anders shake his head and turn away from them all, her smile froze. Faith took it all in and was puzzled to see a look of determination appear on Bethany's face.

They continued their walk in silence for the most part and soon reached a set of stairs leading down into the darkness.

"Well, here we go," Faith muttered as she started down the stairs, the rest following closely behind.

They weren't surprised when they were attacked by shades again and another golem. What surprised them was that further down they encountered stranger creatures, that shot lightning at them. These things seemed to be made of rock, but had golden skeletons shining brightly through the rocks, which gave them a bizarre appearance.

They soon discovered that the best way to kill them was using cold or fire spells, while Faith used her daggers at the same time. The electrical shocks the creatures sent out at them did do some damage, so after that battle was over, they decided to set camp in the vast room they were now in.

Anders busied himself healing them all and then kept to himself. Varric asked for his help to put up the tent, and he helped, but afterwards went back to the corner of the room, where he laid out his bedroll, avoiding contact with the rest.

Faith tended to the fire Bethany lit and soon was cooking stew in a large pot with the provisions they had brought along. She knew the vegetables would not last long and figured they might as well eat them and keep their supply of beef jerky intact for the moment. She saw Bethany walk over to where Anders was sitting and tried not to cock her ear in that direction to listen in, so she concentrated on the stew, frowning.

Faith shivered. This place was so cold and dark. She finally understood why Anders hated the Deep Roads so much.

...

Anders looked up suddenly and his eyes met Bethany's. He hadn't expected her, but he smiled. He thought Bethany was a real sweetheart. At the moment, however, Bethany was pale and there was a worried crease on her brow.

She sat next to him and adjusted her robe around her small frame before speaking. Anders waited patiently, a puzzled look in his eyes.

"I couldn't help noticing your reaction to what Varric said earlier," Bethany began, blushing slightly.

"What of it?" Anders asked quietly.

"I know you and my sister have something. A...a..." she groped for the right word, "connection."

Anders did not say anything, but stared at the stone ground. The minutes ticked slowly by and for a while neither of them spoke. Anders turned to inspect Bethany and saw she was struggling with her words again. He smiled at this for a brief moment, and his whole expression softened. He really did like Bethany. She was kind, considerate and gentle. He could not think of anyone in the group who disliked her. She was too sweet and pure for that.

"Faith told me some time ago that you have rejected her," Bethany blurted out finally, unable to stand the silence. Anders's eyebrows shot to his hairline in surprise. He was not expecting this comment. But he was even more surprised at what she said next. "I have to wonder, because it is clear that you are falling in love with her, if you aren't already. Why are you rejecting her? You can see she obviously feels the same way about you."

Anders felt his heart sink. He fought to keep his emotions in check for a few minutes and swallowed thickly before replying. "You know what I am. I merged with a Fade spirit. I don't think your sister should love someone like me. I would only end up hurting her," he managed to say.

Bethany's expression softened even more at this. "You say this as if love is something one can control. You cannot expect her to fall in love with you and stop loving you just because you merged with a spirit. You can't control love, Anders. It will happen, even if you don't want it to happen."

"I don't want to hurt her..."

"I don't think you will. The fact that you are concerned tells me you are less likely to hurt her," Bethany said quietly. "Justice is a part of you. She has already seen him manifest that night in the Chantry. She knows what you did, knows what you are. But she fell in love with you anyway, which proves my point."

"It doesn't matter, Bethany. I don't want her to get involved with me. I can't allow it. She should have someone who is normal, not...someone like me. I can't offer her anything." Anders was feeling real anguish now, and could barely keep the emotion out of his voice. To make matters worse, Justice was expressing delight at his firmness while speaking to Bethany and silently cheering him on.

"So you'd rather suffer in silence. She's suffering too, you know." Bethany shook her head. "Life is too short for that."

Anders turned to look at her and saw the paleness on her cheeks. It was then that he realized she looked ill.

"Are you alright, Bethany?" His voice was sharp when he asked the question and he saw Bethany start at this. A blush colored her cheeks deeply then.

"Yes, of course I am. I'm just worried about you two, and want to get back home."

But before he could answer to that, Bethany had scrambled onto her feet and was already leaving. "I'm sorry to have bothered you, Anders. I'll leave you alone now."

Anders wished he could have called her back, but she was already at Faith's side, helping with the stew. He shook his head and turned to his back pack where he busied himself counting the supplies he had for healing. As his hands went through the contents, a thought pierced through as clearly as if it had been spoken.

_She doesn't look well. Could it be the Taint? _

He immediately knew it was Justice, but could not help feeling worried about this himself. He decided to keep an eye on her from that moment onwards and panicked slightly.

They were hundreds of miles below the surface, lost in this unknown, forgotten thaig. If she was indeed infected by the Blight, how would he be able to get her to the wardens in time?

...

They continued onwards, fighting the things that Varric called 'rock wraiths'. Three days had passed already and they were getting tired of all the fighting, and their hope was slowly dwindling down.

They had an especially long fight on the third day with the creatures and more shades. When they had finished, they stood gasping for breath.

At that moment, they heard the sound of rocks scratching against the stone floor and turned to see another wraith forming. Faith readied herself to attack but this creature did something the others had not.

It spoke.

"Enough. You have proven your mettle. I will not see these creatures' lives ended without need," the voice boomed throughout the vast room.

"I'd say being attacked gives us plenty of need," Faith shot back angrily, her daggers still at the ready.

"You're rock wraiths, right?" Varric shot out and the creature hovered slightly over the ground, the rocks scraping the surface now and then, pulsating gold until it spoke again.

"The profane have lingered in this place since ancient times, existing only to devour the magical stones."

Faith sneered as she shot another comment at it.

"They eat the lyrium? Sounds like a healthy diet, if you ask me."

Her sarcasm was not lost to the creature which made a snorting noise then continued. "They hunger. I am not like them. I am a visitor."

"It seems more interested in their hunger, than anything else. It's a demon from the Fade, come to feed," Anders said scowling at the creature.

The creature ignored him completely, and continued to fix its blank stare at Faith. "I can sense your desire to leave this place. I can provide you with this in exchange for something."

"Don't do it," Anders said sharply. "Demons will trip you up every time."

"I don't like this, sister. Please refuse," Bethany added.

"I don't know...what are our options?" Varric asked.

Faith squared her shoulders, her lips forming a sneer again. "I'm not about to become that thing's next meal. I say no..."

"Most unwise," the thing before them said, then its glow grew in intensity.

Faith attacked it using Vendetta, killing it instantly. An abomination burst forth from its remains and the room filled with shades and more profane. It was Anders this time who came to life first, after his initial first shock. Anders who brushed by Faith and placed himself squarely in front of the abomination who lashed out with its magically-infested claws at Hawke. Anders who froze it in place and retreated nimbly, grabbing Faith's arm in the process to get her out of the way. The fact of the matter was that he knew that when abominations swiped magic at you with their claws, they could drain your stamina or mana in seconds and leave you helpless, ready for a clean kill.

Faith blinked, for she had not expected this from Anders. He had been keeping to himself for the past few days, and had hardly spoken to her. Granted, they had fought abominations before, but now that she thought of it, he had _also_ been very protective of her when they had in the past as well. He had never told her why either. Well, this time she would ask him why. It was time he stopped playing the 'I'm no good for you' game one minute, and be so protective and heroic the next. For now, however, she focused on killing as many shades and profane as she could, while Anders and Bethany got rid of the abomination. Varric's arrows slowed every enemy there was in the vast room and by the time they were done, they limped towards the room center, tired and disheveled.

They set camp there, among the debris, wishing vainly for some extra water to clean up and replenish their water skins.

"Anders?" the voice he had grown to love so well made him start and gaze up questioningly. He was sitting on the stone ground, his arms hugging his knees.

"Are you hurt?" Was his immediate reaction to her proximity. The sapphire eyes twinkled as she smiled down at him.

"No. Can I sit here?" Faith asked and went along and sat anyway, without waiting for his reply.

Anders's reply to this was to sigh heavily and shake his head.

"So, I'm that repulsive to you lately, huh? Why?"

"Andraste's flaming knickers!" Anders swore and shook his head again, more violently this time. "You will never be repulsive to me, Faith!"

"Is that why you have been avoiding me these past few days?"

"For the love of the Maker, you know why!" He exclaimed, his hands flying to his shaking head, then dropping down on his knees again. He sighed again.

"I don't understand why you insist on..." She began, but was interrupted by his swearing.

"Andraste's ass, Faith! You know why! I can't allow this to happen. I can't offer you anything. We've spoken about this before -"

He stopped abruptly when her fingers brushed against his knuckles, sending sparks up his spine and down to his groin. She heard his sharp intake of breath as her fingers traced patterns on his hand. She saw him turn his head sharply, the pupils of his warm brown eyes dilated.

Anders let himself go, his heart hammering in his chest as he slowly leaned towards her upturned face.

_Do not let this happen! Focus! _

The booming voice reverberated throughout his body and soul. He sharply drew away from her, breathing heavily.

"Please, don't tempt me..." he managed to gasp softly. Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead, and Faith drew back, blinking, struggling to keep the tears from falling.

Without saying another word, she got up and went back to Bethany and the tent. If Anders heard her go, he gave no indication of it whatsoever.

She cried herself to sleep softly, so as not to interrupt Bethany who was sleeping soundly on her bedroll, inches away from her.

And in the far end of the room, Anders stared into the darkness, wishing he had not been born a mage.

...

Two days later, after still more fighting, they came upon another vast room, filled with red lyrium. Anders brought a shaking hand to his forehead, unseen by the rest, except for Faith who caught the movement. Instinctively, she moved farther away from the lyrium, approaching the center.

"What is this place?" She asked Varric, who walked beside her his eyes darting around the room.

"This would be the vault. It's where all the dwarves brought their -" He stopped short as the sound of large stones scraping against the stone floor filled the room and echoed off the distant walls.

The rock wraith was enormous this time. It filled the center of the room and shot a bolt of lightning at Faith who somersaulted backwards in time, while Varric scurried to the left, bringing Bianca out in one quick movement. The room also filled with smaller wraiths, the profane, which began to attack them immediately.

Faith had never fought so hard before. The first time the huge thing before them morphed into a cloud of rock and sent out a brilliant red light, sapping their health bit by bit, it scared her but she withdrew behind a huge pillar and discovered that the light did not reach her there. She quickly called out to the rest, informing them what they should do and Bethany, who was closest to Varric pulled him behind a pillar opposite, while Anders jumped behind Faith and quickly performed a mass rejuvenation spell for the whole party.

When the rock wraith had finished sending off the deadly red light that consumed their health, it suddenly collapsed, revealing a gleaming frail skeleton. Faith suddenly knew that it was vulnerable and leapt forward.

Screaming with rage, she buried her twin daggers in a classic assassination move. The thing screamed in pain but did not move. The rest of her party got the message and quickly rained spells and arrows at it relentlessly.

All this continued a couple of times. Each time the huge rock wraith morphed into a cloud they knew to hide behind the massive pillars and wait for it to collapse, what they did not count on was that it could also morph into a giant ball and charge at them, but the first time it tried, they used the pillars as well, and were saved from instant death.

Finally, one of the times when it was vulnerable, Faith gathered up momentum, leapt into the air and sank her daggers into it and this time, managed to kill it.

At the same time, Bethany fell to the floor, gasping for breath and Faith's cry of joy turned into a cry of fear. She rushed to her sister's side.

Bethany lifted her face and Faith saw her lovely skin marred here and there with the telltale signs of the Blight sickness. She felt her heart wrench inside her and her mouth dropped open.

"It's the Blight. I can feel it," Anders said sadly behind her.

"Bethany! Why didn't you say anything?" Faith cried out.

"We're hundreds of miles below the surface. There is nothing you can do. I'll be just as dead as poor Wesley was," Bethany replied, giving Faith a weak smile.

"There might be something we could do, if only we were back at the level we were before we got locked in here," Anders said quietly.

"What do you mean, Anders?" Faith turned her face up to him sharply. "Maker's breath, spit it out!"

"I stole the maps from some wardens who had come to Kirkwall. I thought they were here for me, but they were organizing their own expedition into the Deep Roads. I know where the wardens are."

"How would that help us?" She retorted. "Is becoming a Grey Warden a cure?" Faith asked, suddenly remembering what Flemeth had said when Wesley had fallen ill.

"Yes, I suppose it is. We might not make it to where they are in time, however," he added sadly.

"That's true," Varric growled. "If only Bartrand had not locked us down here! I swear I'll find that son of a bitch - sorry mother - and kill him if it's the last thing I do!"

"It's coming on faster. I won't be able to last very long," Bethany gasped.

Faith turned to Anders again. "Can't you do anything?"

"I can try a rejuvenating spell. It may help her for now, but the corruption will get worse, until she turns into a darkspawn-like creature herself. We'll have to kill her then. I'm - I'm sorry, Faith..." Anders swallowed thickly. The pain that he saw in Faith's eyes was making him feel helpless and miserable.

"Do it," Faith said.

"Sister. I beg you. I don't want to turn into one of those foul creatures. Promise me you'll end it before that happens," Bethany said quietly.

Faith bowed her head, and the tears began to fall. "I can't -"

"Please sister!"

Anders placed his hands over Bethany's head. The rejuvenating spell did the trick and she was able to stand.

Varric had wandered away from the scene, his eyes moist. He spotted a door ahead in the darkness and something shining to his left.

"Hey! I think I just found a way out of this place!" He cried out happily to the rest.

Faith was the first to arrive. To her dismay, the door was locked and the lock could not be picked. Vainly she looked around the floor, scanning for a key. Her eyes spotted the shining treasure in an alcove on her left and her eyes widened.

"Holy shit! I've never seen so much gold before in my entire, er...short life!" Varric exclaimed, his eyes widening slightly.

"Let's hope there is something in there that will help us get out of here," Faith commented sourly. She opened the first chest and found ten gold pieces lying inside along with a shiny, gold key. "A key! Oh, I hope it opens that door!"

It did. Faith gave a sigh of relief. "Now we just have to hurry back to where you think the wardens are, right?" she said enthusiastically, smiling at Anders.

Anders could not bring himself to remind her that it might be several days before they could get there and plastered a mechanical grin on his face, nodding back at her. Varric then suggested they fill their backpacks with the gold in front of them. They also took other jewelry and gold statuettes. Once they finished, Faith opened the door and they followed her up a set of stairs which stretched up into the darkness.

...

Bethany got worse on the third day. They still had not reached the level they wanted, and she was looking terrible.

Screaming, she started to tear out pieces of her hair, as she struggled in Anders's arms to bite him and the rest, if they got too close. Her eyes glinted madly in the dim half-light and her skin was now completely covered in putrid sores. Anders swallowed thickly and applied a sleeping spell on her. She went limp in his arms. Gently, he lay her on the stone floor and turned to Faith sadly.

"We can't keep this up, Faith. She is turning fast."

"Cast another rejuvenating spell on her, please! We should get there soon!" Faith murmured, her eyes shining brightly with unshed tears.

Anders nodded and complied, while Varric looked away from Bethany's slight form, gazing at the walls of the tunnel they were in.

When Bethany came to, she was back to her old self again and stood up, ready to leave. They all trudged wearily along the tunnel. After a while, they heard her cry out again.

"Please sister, I beg you! End it. It is too much to bear, I beg you!" She was kneeling on the ground and Faith knelt before her, the tears now streaming down her face.

"You always were a heartbreaker, Bethany," Faith sobbed, realizing that she had to give her peace.

"And you always made me laugh," Bethany smiled. "It's just you now. Take care of mother."

Faith nodded, sobbing as she took her dagger in her hand. Sobbing harder, she drove the dagger directly into Bethany's chest and heart. Bethany fell to the floor dead, a sweet smile on her lips.

For a moment, the silence that filled the room was like the lull before the storm. Then Faith screamed and started to cry, kneeling on the stone floor. She brought her fists down on the hard stone, hitting it until the blood on her knuckles made Anders kneel down and catch her hands in his glowing ones. He healed her hands, and pulled her to him, tears glistening in his eyes. Cradling her in his arms, his head bowed protectively over hers, while she continued to wail inconsolably. Varric bowed his head as the tears fell from his eyes, then he too went up to Faith and put one of his hands on her shoulder.

Anders cursed inwardly to the Heavens and rocked her gently in his arms, while the tears continued to fall. In all the grief that the three went through during that time he was at least grateful for one thing.

Justice was mercifully silent.

...

_**A. N. : Um yes. One of the things I didn't quite understand was this: Wesley got the Taint and literally died five minutes later. Bethany got the Taint and she dies a week later? I know, I know. Bioware wanted us a chance to have our sibling with us later on... I get it. But I thought, what if Bethany doesn't make it and Anders is there? It must have taken them more than five days to get to the point where they fight the giant rock wraith. My guess is that the Taint progresses fast, so she didn't make it. Besides, I needed Faith alone because of what happens later on, you'll see...heh! **_


	8. Aftermath

_**A couple of things about this fic...**_

_**I want to point out that I'm not following the three-year gap thing that happens in the game, in between each act. You will be reading about some of the quests (the least important ones) carried out during that time, and a glimpse into the lives of our heroes. So for Chapter 8, one year of the three-year-gap would have gone by, for Chapter 9 another year of the three-year-gap, and for Chapter 10 the last year of the three-year-gap. Therefore, Chapter 11 will be equivalent to the start of Act 2, if you get what I mean. **_

_**I also want to let you know that Anders is four years older than Faith, and she is three years older than Bethany, for age reference. If later on I make a mistake in their ages, blame it on my lousy memory and bad math skills, lol! **_

_**Thanks to PheonRen and LadyCallia for their reviews and constant support and help. Your friendship means a lot to me, guys! Also, a big round of applause for PheonRen's amazing skills as an editor! Thank you so much, my friend! **_

_**Bioware owns. If not, I'd have Anders AND Alistair all to myself. *grins* **_

Chapter 8 - Aftermath

Whenever Anders looked back on the time they spent getting back from the Deep Roads, he would do so with infinite sadness and grief.

He remembered how he and Varric had half-carried Faith out of that room and the echoes of her crying screams reverberating along the stone walls, disrupting the eerie ominous silence characteristic of the Deep Roads.

When they eventually made their way back to the place where they had found the way around the cave in for Bartrand what seemed to be a hundred years ago, they were tired and very hungry, having only some beef jerky to last them for the rest of the journey. But the good part was that they had come upon the underground spring and once again could clean up and finally replenish their water skins.

Faith had resorted to absolute silence after she had stopped crying, regarding the darkness beyond where they set camp with a stony glare. Both Anders and Varric had to take turns to make her eat and drink water, something that she had refused initially. Anders remembered that she had turned her head once briefly to just look at him, but not with the warmth that he was used to seeing. Her gaze was sad and her eyes were dark and somber.

It was on the fourth day of their journey when they were ambushed by a small horde of darkspawn that Faith came to life. She hacked into them with such speed and vigor, it left both Anders and Varric standing with their mouths partly opened, gazing stupidly at how she angrily killed six of them while screaming obscenities. They quickly recovered and fought the monsters in time to be ambushed by a second wave which included, of course, an emissary that prepared to shoot a fire bolt straight at Faith who was at that moment recklessly jumping from darkspawn to darkspawn, without really focusing.

Anders was about to fry the emissary before it could send out its spell, when help arrived. Men in warden uniforms hacked into the beasts, and in minutes all of them lay dead on the floor.

"Anders!" One of them called out, and Anders had turned to glimpse at the rescuer. Faith had turned as well, and for a moment, Anders remembered that he could only stare until he found his voice.

"Fancy meeting you here, Stroud." His voice was dry and devoid of inflection. He was greeting a former Warden comrade, which had not been his best friend in the past.

Anders recalled that the whole place had gotten very quiet and then Faith had burst out laughing. Her laughter had sent a chill up his spine and Warden Stroud had turned to gaze at her, surprise written all over his face.

It was the laughter of a madwoman.

...

As it turned out later, time was the greatest healer of all.

The first day Anders received a missive at his Darktown clinic begging him to come check in on Faith, he had hurriedly left Lirene, who had been chatting away with him and helping him organize his supplies, in charge of the place. Ignoring Justice's disapproval, he picked up his speed and by the time he got to Gamlen's house, he had knocked on the door wheezing slightly from all the running. True, as a mage he _did_ do a lot of running, but short distances these days, not like when he had been on the run escaping the templars.

Gamlen opened the door and peered out, his gaze unfriendly and stern.

"I - ah- got a message from Leandra Hawke. I believe she is Faith's mother?" He asked as politely as he could, catching his breath.

"Well, you won't be finding them here. They're in Hightown. They moved back to the estate," Gamlen muttered and closed the door on Anders's face before he could ask for the exact address.

Anders stood there for a moment, staring at the wooden door helplessly. Pulling himself together, he went down the stone stairs and in a flash of inspiration, entered The Hanged Man looking for Varric. He went up to the dwarf's rooms where he found him, eating a magnificent spread fit for a king. Varric smiled at his friend and waved him over to the table. He asked him to sit and eat with him but Anders shook his head, grinning.

"I got a letter from Leandra Hawke, Faith's mother. She says something about her not being well?" He inquired and a worried frown appeared on Varric's face.

"I visited her yesterday. You would think that since a month has gone by, she would be better, but she isn't, Blondie. Her mother is grieving as well, but keeps strong for Faith, you know. Rivaini, Daisy and the elf have even gone to visit, but nobody can get her to eat a proper meal or anything. She just sits on that huge bed of hers, staring at the opposite wall."

"I wish you could have told me this, Varric," Anders shot back, feeling a little nettled. "I'm the last to know about this?"

"Sorry, Blondie. I truly forgot. With all the things I had to look into, besides visiting her and getting the rest of the treasure sold, I lost track of time, and completely forgot."

"What I would love is the address? Mistress Hawke did not write it down and Gamlen shut the door on my face."

"Tell you what, let's both go. I'm done eating my late breakfast, and have errands to run at the Merchant's Guild myself. I'll drop you off and then leave to carry on with my business. Deal?"

He nodded at this, smiling. Isabela suddenly materialized at the door and asked to go as well, while she grabbed a piece of cheese off the table and munched on it.

Soon the three were going up the steps that led into Hightown, while Isabela and Varric chatted about daggers and Anders tried to stop his heart from hammering so loudly in his chest. By the time they reached the house and stopped at the door, he was sweating.

It was the first time he had seen the manor, and it impressed him. It was a huge three-storied house set on one of the sides of the square that led to the Viscount's Keep.

Anders had only been in Hightown to the market once or twice to get some ingredients for his potions, so he had nearly forgotten what it was like. He felt very uncomfortable because there were a great deal of uniformed guards patrolling around, and it was not even dark yet.

They were greeted at the door by Bodahn himself who smiled and waved them in excitedly.

"He's Hawke's manservant now," Varric told him in an audible whisper. "Because of Sandal's timely rescue back in the Deep Roads."

Anders's eyes drank in the beauty and cleanliness of the place as the group was ushered into what seemed to be a main room in the huge mansion, which had a fire burning merrily in a fireplace on the right wall, with a proper mantel and everything. The potted plants in the room and the stained-glass windows gave it luscious-colored shadows and lights, all dancing around merrily.

Sandal detached himself from the chest -that Anders was sure was where he kept all his enchanting supplies -he kept on the other side of the room and stepped forward with an exuberant and toothy 'hallo', before turning back to his chest and runes.

It was then that the figure of a lovely woman swept down the stairs that they were all facing. She was dressed in a noblewoman's long gown, and her grey hair had been swept up in a carefree bun at the back of her head. She had blue eyes and a sad look in them, but Anders could clearly see where Faith had gotten her beauty from.

"Hello, Varric...Isabela. I'm so glad you dropped by. I hope this time you can get her to eat more than a spoonful of soup," she said softly, her gaze fixed on Anders.

Anders gave her a wide smile and she smiled back.

"This is...um..." Varric faltered scratching his nose, and Anders turned to look at him, his eyes widening slightly in disbelief, "Anders!" He exclaimed at last triumphantly, while Anders took the hand held out to him and shook it gently. Varric continued to prattle. "He was with us in the Deep Roads."

Mistress Hawke's eyes looked even sadder, and Anders felt even more miserable. Varric chatted on. "He's a healer, as you know. With a clinic in Darktown and everything. Hope you're feeling well, Lady Amell?"

Anders started at the name and Faith's mother saw this. She waited patiently for him to speak but Anders was rather lost in thought at the moment. He had known an Amell when he was at the circle tower in Ferelden. What was her name? Rilka? Renata? She was younger than he was, but a lovely dark-haired little girl that had enormous honey-colored eyes. She would follow him around like a puppy whenever she could, and Anders, being a fifteen-year-old boy with the thought of 'escape' seared across his brain, would patiently try to be as kind as possible to her without telling her outright to get away from him.

Lady Hawke's voice brought him back with another start. He was still holding her hand and she was asking him if he would like something to eat or drink.

"Oh, so sorry about drifting off like that," he said hurriedly, releasing her hand. "It's just that I remembered knowing an Amell back at the circle tower in Ferelden. I can't remember her first name but -"

"Rilka! Rilka Amell. She was my cousin Revka's child who was taken to the circle in Ferelden when she was only five, poor thing. Even though we were a noble family here in Kirkwall, we've always had magic in our blood, which set us aside from the rest of the nobles, you see. My cousin Revka ran off to live in Ferelden when her husband died in one of the battles fought here against the Viscount Perrin. We never heard from her again, and I tried to contact her when I, myself, lived in Ferelden, but could not find her."

Anders nodded at this, and tried not to laugh outright. She was certainly a chatter, Faith's mother. "I'll let you go to Faith now. She's awake, of course. She hardly ever sleeps since her return from the Deep Roads." The mother wrung her hands and fell silent. Anders's heart went out to her. He could tell she was merely being strong for the sake of her daughter, and clearly saw the pain she was going through.

"And how have you been sleeping, Mistress?" He asked gently, which surprised Leandra so much her lips parted and she was actually struck dumb for several seconds. She recovered admirably after a brief silence however.

"Oh, don't mind me. It's Faith you have to care for. I am at my wit's end and don't know what else to do. I couldn't bear to lose her too..." Leandra's voice dropped to a whisper and her eyes shone brightly with unshed tears.

Anders made a mental note to bring back a potion for her to help her sleep at nights.

"I'll do my best, I promise," Anders said gently and Leandra managed a watery smile. Then, when he saw her shake her head and bow it, gracefully pointing to one of the twin staircases that led up to the second floor, knew that their talk had ended for the moment.

Silently, Varric, Isabela and Anders went up the stairs on the right side of the room and found themselves on a landing which had other doors on all sides. Varric strode up to the door in the middle, and knocked on it.

There was no reply, of course, and Leandra herself, who had been behind them all the time, opened the door softly and poked her head in. Making sure her daughter was indeed awake, she turned back to the group and waved them inside.

Anders felt his heart catch in his throat when his eyes fell upon the slight figure on the bed. Faith Hawke was much thinner and had very dark circles under her eyes. She had been gazing at the opposite wall, but when the small group entered the room, had turned her head slowly to them. Since Anders was the tallest, her eyes immediately found his. Then, she did something nobody expected. Giving a sob, she scrambled out of the bed and fled right to his arms, that were already open for her.

Leandra Hawke gave an audible gasp at seeing her daughter react to something. She left the room so that the rest would not see her cry.

And Faith Hawke buried her face in Anders's chest, weeping. She welcomed the feel of his arms as they wrapped around her, and felt protected. She took in the smell of freshly cut lemons, spindleweed and elfroot that exuded from him, and slowly began to calm down.

In all the darkness that surrounded her, Faith had finally seen a ray of light.

...

Isabela was opening her mouth to say something, when Varric elbowed her to silence and gestured at her to leave the room. They tiptoed away and shut the door behind them.

After some time, Anders felt her calm down and led her to the bed where he gently sat her down, sitting down beside her. She looked up at him, her eyes still glistening from the tears she had shed.

He smoothed away a lock of hair that had fallen over her cheek and she gave a sob and buried her face into one of the feathered pauldrons of his coat.

He patiently waited and held her, one of his arms wrapped around her shoulders, while the other hand caressed her hair. It was then when he felt himself getting aroused, and he got angry at himself.

_Control. When will you learn control? _

Faith sighed, her voice breaking through Justice's and allowing Anders to blot him out completely and effectively.

"We used to tease Carver something terrible when we were children. He would chase us around the small cottage we lived in and we'd run out and hide in the forest. He'd always find us though, because Bethany would giggle and give our spot away..."

Anders said nothing, but continued to caress her hair and his hand briefly strayed to her cheek then back up to her hair again.

"When father died, he had been teaching her how to heal. I'll never forget that day. I was so afraid he would kill her after he killed father! I fought so hard! She was only fifteen, and terrified! It felt good, to kill him. I hated the templars after that. I hated them so much!"

Anders still sat quietly, listening to her, feeling the pain, anger and love she was feeling at that moment. He dared not interrupt. In the first place, he knew this was cathartic for her, and a sign of recovery. In the second place, it was like she was opening up even more to him and the glimpses he got of her past life filled him with even more love for her than he thought possible.

"She was special. We'd always tell each other everything, even though I was three years older. It made no difference, really. She was mature for her age. And so sweet...Maker! I killed my own sister! A sister I love with all my heart!"

"Faith, it had to be done. She would have turned into a monster. She already was fast becoming one," Anders said softly.

She gave a half nod and her head slowly came up again, as she gazed up into his eyes. "I know this, but it still hurts so much."

"It has to hurt, sweetheart. It's normal," he whispered.

Faith nodded again and Anders realized that he had called her 'sweetheart' and began to sweat again.

_Control! You have no control! _

Anders pushed Justice back and cursed under his breath. Faith jerked her head up and looked at him with wide eyes, and he ended up shaking his head and mumbling that his arm had fallen asleep. She sorrowfully disentangled herself from his grasp then. He almost wished he hadn't said anything. Then, he rebelled momentarily against Justice's disapproval and put his arm around her again. Anders could have sworn he could almost see Justice fix a disapproving glare on him.

She sighed softly and gazed at the wall on the opposite side of the room.

"Faith, I want you to start eating. Could you do that for me please? Eat something?"

She looked at him again and after what seemed like an eternity to him, nodded slowly. Anders gave her a sidelong smile and she felt her heart give a flutter.

He saw her lips form a half-smile and felt a joy that threatened to make his heart explode. Nimbly, he got up and promising to be right back, got to the door and quickly made his way down the stairs back to the main room.

"Bodahn, could you make some stew for Faith? I think she's going to try eating now," he informed the dwarf happily. Bodahn took off for the kitchen as fast as his little legs could go.

Leandra, who was in the room as well, gave a cry of relief. Then she crossed the room quickly and took Anders's hand.

"Thank you so much, Anders. You have no idea how much this means to me. I can't thank you enough."

But Anders smiled down at her and assured her that he did, his warm brown eyes twinkling with happiness.

It was then that Leandra Hawke realized that this kind man was deeply in love with her daughter and probably was the best medicine for her recovery. She remembered how Faith had reacted to him, and saw that her daughter was probably in love with him. She smiled genuinely at him remembering that she herself had fallen for a mage and her smile deepened.

History certainly had a way of repeating itself.

...

The months turned into a year and passed rather quickly. During that time, Anders found himself spending time every day with Faith and her mother, and chatting to them about his escapades from the circle in Ferelden. Faith smiled more and began to eat regular meals, something that sent his heart soaring to the heavens. His love for her grew with each passing day, and Justice continued to berate him about it. He ignored Justice and fell asleep every night aching for her.

She still hadn't left the house, and he was trying to figure out a way to make her at least take a walk in the sunshine with him after finding out from Leandra one day that Aveline had been keeping the guard away from his clinic and himself in Darktown. He didn't believe it was because Aveline liked him, he obviously knew she didn't. He believed it was because Aveline cared for Faith, and would do anything for her, even protect a charming apostate fugitive abomination like him, who constantly teased her and didn't like her one bit.

He still hadn't figured out why the templars hadn't come banging on his door, however. They possibly knew all about him, an apostate mage running a free clinic in the Undercity. So he didn't quite understand why he hadn't been arrested so far. It would be another year before he got a clear clue of why they had left him alone. He worried so much about this, even more so because he thought she was placing herself in danger because of him. The Knight Commander could very well choose to ignore her nobility and ties to the City Guard and arrest her, take her to the Gallows and have her hanged. He panicked when he realized this but still could not keep away from Faith. He needed her as much as he needed the air to breathe.

Then one day, while Varric had been chatting to her on one of his weekly visits (while Anders held her hand and marveled at how soft it had become) he said something that Faith felt was interesting.

"So that's why we don't come around during the night, Hawke. It's getting to be a real pain, let me tell you." Varric finished talking and Faith's eyes did something they hadn't done in a long time.

They twinkled.

"Thugs you say?" She asked, the twinkling now reaching the sparkling stage.

"Yep. Whole gangs of them, in fact. In Hightown, in Lowtown, in the Docks...heck! Everywhere!"

Her lips turned up into a wolfish grin. "Say, Varric. Could you ask Isabela to come over tomorrow? I want to practice on some of my moves with her. Tell her we'll be using wooden daggers, though."

And Anders mentally jumped with delight and happiness, while Justice grumbled about it all being a waste of time.

...

So Isabela ended up being a teacher of sorts to Faith, and practiced with her daily for a week. Anders devoted more of his time to his patients, though there were days when he locked up the clinic and set out to Faith's home to catch a glimpse of her practicing moves with Isabela. He was such a good healer, that most of his patients had been cured and things were really slow, so he found himself at the Hawke estate more often than not.

Isabela was playful, sarcastic and witty. Anders had met her on one of his escapes from the Circle Tower in Ferelden, when he had chosen to spend the night at The Pearl, which was the brothel in Denerim. True, he didn't need to go to brothels, he was quite charming and could get any girl for free, or so he thought, but that night he had taken five sovereigns from a templar he had killed outside the city gates and was feeling elated. So in he went and his eyes had roamed over the brothel 'girls' before they found Isabela flirting with a girl dressed in warden armor that had tattoos on her face. The girl caught him staring, batted her eyelashes at him, and Anders was soon flirting with them both. One thing led to another and they ended up spending the night in one of the rooms of The Pearl. He had enjoyed himself thoroughly when they had squeaked with delight at his 'electricity treatment' while they engaged in delicious sexual foreplay. He had left the following morning, and did not stop until he saw the gates of Amaranthine.

"Ha! I got you that time," Faith laughed out loud and Anders came back to the present with a start. He was thankful Faith could not see what he had been thinking about, and felt a little guilty when her warm gaze caught his eyes. He grinned and she smiled back.

"I think you're all set, my dear," Isabela said breathlessly. "You certainly have come back to us with a bang!"

Faith laughed in response, keeping her twinkling eyes on Anders, who smiled warmly back at her.

"So," she said after she had caught her breath. "Let's go kick some thug ass tonight, what do you think?"

"I'll let Varric know," Isabela replied, grinning. "He'll be so pleased!"

...


	9. The Mage Underground

_**A chapter with some fluff and levity, mixed in with an unexpected NPC making her appearance well before Act 3. Oh, and Anders's introduction to the Mage Underground... not at all the way it happened in the game. **_

_**I really don't like Sebastian Vael, lol. **_

_**As usual, my thanks to PheonRen for her editing skills and reviews, and LadyCallia for her suggestions and reviews as well! You both rock! **_

_**Bioware owns. **_

Chapter 9 - The Mage Underground

Faith had been to visit Fenris and stood outside the mansion he lived in. She was totally angry at the moment. She had tried to reason with him, but there had obviously been no way to reason with a drunk elf. The fact that he was bitter with resentment against pretty much everyone probably had something to do with it.

She shook her head and headed down the stairs as her mind's eye relived the conversation they had had. It hadn't been too bad for starters, she had joked and he had even laughed, but as the hate he felt for all mages finally surfaced when he criticized Merrill and Anders, she had exploded and stormed out of the mansion.

She remembered she had to pick some things up for dinner that Bodahn had asked for and headed towards the market.

It was a hot and sultry day, the heat making her wish she had dressed more comfortably. The leather jerkin she was wearing stuck to her frame like a second skin and rubbed against her, producing chafing and an uncontrollable itch. She was sweating too, which increased the itch and made her want to scream. It was the last time she would wear a long-sleeved leather jerkin during the day.

She bought three chickens, made her way to the produce stand and picked out four pounds of potatoes, some carrots and string beans; then hurried off to the spice stand where she bought some rosemary and thyme and some salt. By the time she left, the itch had spread all the way to her feet.

Her boots made a clicking noise on the tiles of the stone floor as she hurried up the stairs, head down and not really paying attention to where she was going. A guard greeted her and she mumbled back a greeting without looking up. As she was rounding the corner, she bumped into someone and her packages went flying into the air and landed on the tiled floor and she cursed loudly.

"I'm _terribly_ sorry," a masculine voice said in a contrite tone and Faith winced as the sun caught on the armor that he was wearing and it flashed directly into her eyes, nearly blinding her. "Wait! Mistress Hawke! Fancy meeting you here! I haven't seen you since...well, two years ago, before you left for the Deep Roads as a matter of fact!"

The owner of the shiny armor retrieved the last of her packages and held out a hand to help her up which she refused a little curtly, without really meaning to. The fact of the matter was that the person she had bumped into was Sebastian Vael and not a real favorite of hers, perhaps due to the fact that he was a preachy bloke who lived in the Chantry. She had met him before the Deep Roads expedition when she had successfully wiped out the Flint Mercenary gang who had been guilty of murdering his entire family in Starkhaven, simply because it had been a job that had paid well, and she needed the coin for the expedition. Sebastian, however, had been so thankful that he had sung her praises and added that he would pray for her day and night as a token of his appreciation. She had kept a straight face then, controlled her desire to roll her eyes, mumbled something about family dinner, and run out so fast, it had taken Varric, Isabela and Anders totally by surprise.

No. She really didn't like Sebastian at all.

She forced her face and lips to smile, while the stupid man...er...former Prince of Starkhaven stood before her babbling about the Chantry and Grand Cleric Elthina, while her itch increased and beads of perspiration appeared on her forehead until she thought she would scream. Sebastian did not notice anything amiss, of course. He was quite oblivious to anything else except the sound of his own voice and preaching to everyone whenever he got a chance.

"Um...sorry to interrupt but I really have to go. We're having a dinner party and I must get home, you see. Mother will be furious if I'm not back -"

"Let me walk you to your door. I insist. I'll carry your packages for you," Sebastian announced happily, taking her packages graciously. Faith had no other option but to resume walking and continue to listen to the man all the way to her door, which fortunately for her was not too far away.

She smiled again at him and was in the process of taking her packages back when Sebastian blubbered something about being sorry for Bethany's unfortunate death in the Deep Roads. Faith stopped, her hands outstretched in mid-air and Sebastian blinked back kindly at her.

Rage filled her completely, overwhelming her. It was the last straw. She was hot, sweating, had an incontrollable itch that was growing by the minute, and this pompous ass had just mentioned Bethany's death. She tore the packages out of his hands, turned heel, took two steps to her front door, opened it and slammed the door with such force, the ornaments on the mantelpiece in the next room shook gently.

Sebastian Vael stood there for a few minutes, unable to understand what had just happened, then turned to walk back to the Chantry.

"Mistress Hawke! Master Varric -" But Faith paid no heed to Bodahn at all. She unceremoniously dropped the packages at his feet and ran off, all the way up the stairs and into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Faith leaned against the door for a few minutes, catching her breath then furiously worked at the buckles of her leather jerkin and stepped out of it hastily, and continued to undress until she stood in the room totally naked, and scratched herself.

She gave a sigh of relief, then made her way to a door on the right side of the room and opened it. A large marble square tub stood in the center. Bathrooms in Kirkwall boasted a few modern objects from Tevinter. The plumbing system worked rather well, and tubs had handles that supplied cold water to sinks and tubs. All the houses in Hightown had them, but the only places that had them in Lowtown were a couple of taverns and people from the docks or Darktown would pay to bathe in the tubs in taverns. Public baths existed in the brothels as well.

Faith walked towards the marble tub, turned the handle of the faucet and filled it up with cold water. She stepped inside and relaxed, stretching in the cold water and making a humming noise of contentment. Then Bethany came to her mind and she started crying.

...

Evelina stood at the door to Anders's clinic, fidgeting nervously. She held a little boy's hand in hers and went inside.

The boy had been coughing non-stop and was running a fever. Even though she was a mage, she had no experience whatsoever in healing and while she had managed to keep the children she had rescued over the last few years relatively healthy by buying potions and poultices, the fact was that the money had run out, as they had gradually gotten poorer. She had been sending Walter, her eldest, with the younger sick children to the clinic for some time now, but as he had returned from the clinic singing praises about the healer all the time, she had decided to take her youngest this time around and meet this healer face to face.

A young blond man in the middle of the room caught her attention. He was asking a boy to open his mouth and stick out his tongue. The boy cowered for a few minutes, his mother stooping down to calm him down and try to convince him to open his mouth. After a few minutes, the blond man smiled at the boy and knelt on the ground. He flourished his fingers and brought his hands together, then slowly separated them, forming a half circle in the air. A small, glittering rainbow appeared before the small child's eyes, and he laughed and clapped his hands. Once it disappeared, the child happily opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue. When the healer was done looking down his throat, he patted the child's head, stood up and started to talk to the mother, then handed her a bottle. The mother thanked him profusely and left.

...

Anders noticed the haggard woman with the small child immediately and smiled. He walked to them, his eyes on the boy.

"Welcome. What's wrong with your son, Mistress?" He asked kindly.

Evelina smiled and described the cough. Anders asked the little boy to throw back his head and open his mouth, then stick out his tongue and the boy complied obediently.

Then he coughed right into Anders's face.

"Sorry," the boy trembled. Anders took out a handkerchief and wiped his face, making a mental note to drink some elfroot syrup later and smiled at the boy reassuringly.

"There's a nasty coughing illness going around, Mistress." He turned to search for a bottle on the shelves behind him, found it and faced them again. "Here, take this and give him a spoonful three times a day after every meal..." he paused, looked at the thin boy and haggard woman and added, "or whenever you eat, that is."

"Thank you so much. You're Anders, aren't you?" The woman asked, smiling kindly at him. "I remember you from the circle tower in Ferelden, though you are younger than I am. I'm Evelina."

Anders stood there for a few minutes, deep in thought till the woman straightened, then fidgeted. His eyes momentarily fell on her bosom and jolted a memory of an attractive young mage a few years older than him that had taught the children and teenagers in the circle. He had dreamt about the woman's breasts for a long time and had even considered failing the course on purpose, just to be in her class for another year and get a look at her again.

He remembered her all right.

"Evelina! You taught our class how to summon fire and control it! I remember!" He exclaimed, and took the hand she offered to shake it amicably. "What are you doing in Kirkwall?"

"I was in the circle tower when Uldred committed all the atrocities. But unlike the rest of the mages there who cowered outside, I hid in one of the boats and escaped. It was the boat the Hero of Ferelden was in, as a matter of fact. She was such a kind, gentle woman. She helped me. Even gave me money to get out of Ferelden. I owe her my freedom."

Anders's smile widened. The Warden Commander had been a wonderful woman to follow around, while he had been in Amaranthine. He had developed a crush on her, but she was married to the king, and while they had flirted a couple of times, he had been pretty much a gentleman around her. "A remarkable woman, indeed. She recruited me into the Wardens, as a matter of fact," he said, his smile now a grin.

Evelina grinned back, but then her face grew serious once again when the small boy started coughing.

He gave the boy a drink of water, and asked them to sit down.

"You've gotten much taller, Anders," Evelina smiled. "How old are you now?"

"Twenty-seven," he answered, smiling down at the boy, who was no longer coughing and regarded him with big, blue eyes.

Anders looked around his now empty clinic, insisted she stay for a late lunch, and told her he would not take no for an answer. He then busied himself preparing some ham and cheese sandwiches for her and the boy and as they ate, they continued chatting.

At the end of their snack, he gave the boy some medicine and had learned that Evelina who was living in Darktown, had gone directly to the circle in the gallows upon her arrival to ask the First Enchanter to join the circle there. She had, however, brought a number of orphaned children with her who had survived the Blight, so she found herself leaving the tower every day to feed them and look after them. Soon, she realized that the circle was becoming a prison and she had little money to pay for the children's food, so she had petitioned the Knight Commander for funds, which the Knight Commander had immediately refused. Evelina had then disappeared into Darktown and never returned to the gallows.

If Anders had felt angry towards the Knight Commander and the templars in Kirkwall before, his anger had certainly increased since he heard what had happened to Evelina. He barely kept it in control, listening to Justice bellow at the injustice of it all too.

"But it's all right. We manage. I...beg for coins around Darktown and Lowtown, and so far the Templars haven't spotted me."

"I'm sorry. I wish I could do more to help," he managed to say, keeping his anger in check.

"Well, there might be something you could do," Evelina said slowly, as she tilted her head to one side, pondering on something for a few minutes. She let her eyes roam around the clinic, just to make sure it was empty and then leaned forward, keeping her voice down.

"How would you like to help out mages who want to be free, Anders?"

And that's how Anders found himself involved with the Mage Underground.

...

The dinner party was in full swing at the Hawke Estate. It was just her friends and mother, but she was happy to have them all together for once. There was one person who was late, however, and Faith's eyes kept straying to the door. Aveline and Fenris were chatting animatedly in one corner of the room, while Isabela, Varric and Merrill were laughing at something on the other side of the room. Or rather, Isabel and Varric were laughing, Merrill was looking at them, smiling vaguely, totally lost as always.

Faith fidgeted and her mother walked over to Varric and Isabela, while Faith found herself half- listening to the conversation between Fenris and Aveline. Her eyes darted to the door again. Leandra had very deftly managed to get Varric, Isabela and Merrill to join Aveline and Fenris and soon they formed a large circle in the middle of the room.

The whole dinner party had been planned by Leandra. It was Faith's twenty-third birthday and she wanted her to have a good time with her friends. She could see, however, that Faith wasn't having such a good time at all. Her eyes kept darting at the door and she fidgeted a lot, a sign that she was beginning to lose her patience.

They all took a glass of wine from the silver tray Bodahn carried around and Fenris, who was quite tipsy, happily proposed a toast for Faith, which everyone did. Then they all fell silent, while Faith's eyes kept darting darkly at the door.

"Isabela, you must tell us some of your pirate stories. I hear they are quite exciting!" Leandra's high-pitched voice interrupted the overbearing silence, and Isabela smiled at her and nodded, only to be interrupted by Varric who protested strongly while he informed everyone that he was the storyteller of the group.

"We didn't know this," Fenris deadpanned, and Aveline smiled into her glass as she took another sip while Varric glared at the elf.

"Well, Isabela has told me all her stories, so I can tell you one of them, if you _really_ are interested..." Varric shot back.

"Dinner is ready, messers," Bodahn announced from the door to the dining room, and everyone in the room stared at Faith, who stared at the door.

Bodahn smiled, shook his head, and went back into the dining room.

Faith's cheeks were taking on a interesting shade of red, when Varric spoke up.

"I'm sure he's caught up with a few patients. He'll be here, Hawke."

Faith turned to look at Varric with flashing eyes but said nothing. At that moment, there was a knocking on the door and her eyes darted back to it again.

She hurriedly asked them all to get into the dining room, as she pushed Merrill inside, who had no idea what was going on. As she asked them all to sit, Bodahn disappeared to open the front door.

They sat at the table and looked at each other, keeping their eyes off Faith's on purpose, while Faith turned to Merrill, who was sitting next to her, and asked her how she was doing.

Anders entered the room just as Merrill said quite loudly that she had already told Faith how she was when she arrived. He paused and blinked. Everyone was glaring at him, except for Merrill who waved gaily at him. His eyes found Faith's angry ones.

"I'm terribly sorry I'm late. There's been a coughing illness going around, and I had more patients today than I have had for some time," Anders said weakly, as Faith's eyes flashed dangerously once again.

Leandra Hawke got up from the table, asked Merrill to stand and placed her next to Varric. She then asked Anders to sit next to Faith while smiling at him."It's all right, Anders. We understand. We're happy you managed to arrive, though."

Faith fixed a stony glare on the plate in front of her, and Anders looked miserable. He felt worse, however, when he saw brightly wrapped packages on another table on the far side of the room. To his dismay, he realized he had forgotten to bring Faith's gift. He broke into a sweat.

"Faith, darling, could you come into the kitchen with me? There is something I want to talk to you about," Leandra asked pleasantly.

Faith's chair made a scraping sound against the stone floor as she stood and followed her mother out of the room and into the vast kitchen.

Anders's eyes followed her figure as she left, taking in the long dress that she was wearing, and lingering on her behind more than he wanted to, for she looked stunning in it. Varric cleared his throat, and he turned to the dwarf who whispered," Way to make an entrance, Blondie!"

"I feel badly enough, thank you," Anders retorted. "I feel worse in fact. I forgot to bring her gift."

Varric burst out laughing. Isabela turned and demanded to know what he was laughing about. At that moment, a calmer Faith returned, who smiled at them all as Bodahn started to serve them dinner.

"Sorry, Faith," Anders whispered to her, once everyone relaxed and started to chat around the table. "I really meant to be here on time."

"It's fine, Anders. I understand, really I do. It's just that it's my birthday, and I really wanted to spend more time with you today."

"I'll make it up to you, I promise," he said earnestly and she rewarded him with a smile. Relief flooded over him and he grinned back at her. She was wearing her hair down, and he loved the way her thick hair curled around her shoulders. His fingers itched to touch it. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, and her scent drifted up to him. "You look lovely tonight."

His whisper sent sparks throughout her body and her breath caught in her throat. She smiled and gave him a sidelong glance.

"You say there's a coughing illness going around, Anders? What must we do to keep the people of Kirkwall safe from it?" Aveline's voice interrupted the moment they were sharing and Anders looked up, totally flustered.

"Ah...yes. Well, nothing much, I'm afraid. Since it's contagious. Send any people you know are ill over to my clinic, and I'll give them the medicine, Aveline."

The dinner went on smoothly till it was time to open the gifts. Anders fidgeted in his seat miserably. Fenris picked up on his discomfort, guessed immediately what had happened, and saw an opportunity to harass the mage.

"We'd _love_ to see what you brought our birthday girl, An-ders," he slurred slightly, smiling at him for the first time ever.

"I bet you would," Anders shot back. "The gift is private, and I intend to give it to her without you teasing about it."

"It is?" Faith asked interestedly.

Anders momentarily got distracted when he turned to look at her, and did not see Fenris scowl at him.

"Yes, I'm sure you'll love it. Unfortunately, I don't want to give it to you in front of everyone, so...I guess it will have to wait," he said smoothly.

_You're lying to her now? Interesting..._ Justice's voice held an amused tone to it, and Anders told him to shut up. Not out loud, of course.

Varric chuckled into his glass, and Merrill clapped her hands, demanding to see it.

"Sorry, Merrill. The gift is for Faith, not you," Anders said as kindly as possible. He was sweating again, and his hands felt damp and clammy.

Leandra's voice interrupted them all, just when Fenris was about to launch his next comment. "Faith, darling, why don't you open the rest of your gifts?"

But Fenris was not to be deterred from his objective. "I don't think the gift is here. Is it, An-ders?"

"Shut up," Anders growled at Fenris, and Fenris burst out laughing.

"You forgot her gift? The woman you seem to worship so? Well...that's just -"

"I said shut up," Anders interrupted quietly through clenched teeth, his hands grasping the edge of the table, fingers white at the tips.

"Shut up both of you! I thought at least on my birthday you would try to get along! You idiots!" Faith yelled, standing up. Then she ran from the room. A resounding slam echoed around the estate, informing everyone that she was now in her room.

Fenris squirmed in his seat and Anders glared at him.

"Nice job, Fenris." He growled at the elf. "Sure is a birthday to remember, eh?"

"Shut up, An-ders!" Fenris spat back.

"Honestly, you two, could you _really_ try to get over your stupid hate for once? For Faith? It _is_ her birthday, after all!" Isabela said as she stood up. "I'm going to try to get her to come back down. And you two _will_ behave, or my daggers will make you, I swear!"

Isabela left rolling her eyes and both Anders and Fenris looked uncomfortably at each other, while Leandra made a soft clicking noise with her tongue in disapproval and Varric's lips twitched. Aveline sipped more of her wine, trying to conceal her smile as she did, but failing miserably.

After a while, Isabela and Faith returned, and stopped in their tracks when they reached the dining table. Fenris and Anders were chatting to each other, while Leandra was smiling at them both and Merrill was laughing at something Varric was saying. Aveline was giggling now, the wine finally having gotten to her head.

Leandra left the room, hugging her daughter on her way out, saying she was sleepy and everyone bade her a good night. Faith was all smiles as she sat at the table, and they all handed her the gifts they had brought for her. More wine was poured all around, Anders and Fenris did not fight again that night, and it turned out to be a wonderful birthday after all.

Even if Anders had forgotten to bring his gift.

...

The following day, Anders arrived in the afternoon, after his first and only visit to a mage meeting in the Undercity, with the gift in his pocket and a bouquet of fresh flowers in his hand.

Faith's eyes lit up as she took the bouquet and she laughed when he handed her a small parcel wrapped in plain brown paper. Inside was a delicate wooden carving of a windmill with a small wooden sign that read 'Lothering'. Tears sprang to her eyes as she turned it around to admire the back when she saw an inscription painted on it in black.

"To the only person who believes in me. Thank you." Below that, Anders had written his name in his scraggly, uneven handwriting.

"Thank you, Anders," she whispered, "I love it."

Anders felt his heart soaring to the heavens and not even the disapproving voice of Justice was able to put a damper on his happiness.

...


	10. A Harrowing Encounter

_**Justice makes an unexpected appearance. *giggles* **_

_**We meet another Amell...**_

_**Thanks to my lovely beta, PheonRen for helping me sort out punctuation and all that jazz, and to the lovely LadyCallia for her reviews and feedback! **_

_**Yeah, yeah...Bioware owns...whatever! :D **_

Chapter 10 - A Harrowing Encounter

Anders had only attended one meeting at the Mage Underground quarters in the Undercity and did not return. He wanted to help the mages, but did not agree with their violent terms. What really kept him away was that the majority of them spoke about using blood magic, which made him sick and angered Justice. Instead, he chose to keep to himself, and continued to heal people at his clinic. Evelina would stop by every now and then to chat with him and keep him informed of what was going on.

The months passed quickly and another year went by. Anders found himself helping Faith out with other jobs that she took, enjoying her proximity and still falling to sleep eventually on his cot at night, aching for her.

One day Evelina stopped by his clinic looking worried and wringing her hands.

"Hello, Evelina," Anders greeted her cheerfully, then faltered when he saw how worried she was. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, Anders. I wouldn't bother you if it wasn't an emergency, but it is. There isn't anyone else at the place where we meet and I need your help desperately," she said nervously.

"Sure I'll help," he answered back automatically, smiling kindly at her. "What's the problem?"

"I just got a note that there was a scheduled break out from the gallows for this afternoon. Unfortunately, nobody is around to get the job done, and for the first time, our leader has an emergency at home and is unable to help out. I have to hurry home to feed the children. Would you kindly do this for us?" She said, wringing her hands again nervously.

"How many am I helping to escape?" Anders asked, keeping his voice down for there were some Fereldan refugees in his clinic who were warming their hands over one of the fire pits on the other side of the room.

"Three. One young woman and two children. One is six and the other is nine. The children are siblings."

Justice stirred to attention and Anders agreed immediately.

"I'll show you the way to the secret passage to the gallows. It's not far from here. Thank you so much, Anders!"

Anders turned to the Fereldan refugees and asked them to keep an eye out for he had to go out for a few minutes. The three people in the clinic smiled back at him and nodded. He followed Evelina out to the entrance of the passageway. They stood there for a few minutes, while Evelina gave him the exact time when the job had to be carried out. She also told him the three mages' names, then left.

_I finally see you have come to your senses. Good. _

Anders could not think of anything to say to Justice so he kept quiet all the way back to his clinic. When he arrived, Faith was standing in the middle of the room, obviously waiting for him. The refugees had vanished and she was alone in the clinic.

"Faith! I didn't expect to see you here. Are you feeling all right?" He asked in a surprised tone.

Faith nodded, grinning at him. He smiled back warmly.

"I'm fine, mother is fine. I came by to ask if you something, actually. Merrill needs our help to retrieve something from Sundermount and I was wondering if you could come with us."

"Something from Sundermount? What do you mean?" He inquired.

"She needs a tool to help her finish a mirror she has in her house. It's a special tool that only the Dalish use. She's afraid to go alone and speak to the keeper. I've agreed to come with her, to give her moral support, you know..."

Anders frowned. "Are you talking about the mirror she's been talking about for months? Isn't it the reason she was kicked out of her clan to begin with?"

"Well, yes. She said they feared the corruption from the mirror. But she says it isn't dangerous and I believe her," Faith replied, wondering where Anders was going with his questions.

"I recall her telling you that she _fixed_ the mirror so it wouldn't hurt anyone. How did she 'fix' it exactly?" He asked, his eyes narrowing.

"You were there when she spoke to me. You know how," Faith snapped.

"Are you sure you want to help her, Faith? Think about it. She used blood magic to fix it. I don't think it's wise for you to help her finish it," he shot back.

Faith bristled. She was getting upset because Anders was against Merrill's use of blood magic. She, herself, had never seen Merrill using blood magic, and she thought Merrill was a sweet person who essentially had a good heart and honestly wanted to help her clan. The only way Merrill could was by restoring the mirror for she was convinced that this could help them get back some of the history and lore they had lost ages ago.

"If you don't want to go, just tell me. I'm a big girl and can handle it if you refuse," Faith replied angrily.

Anders opened his mouth to say something when suddenly a blue glow started to emanate from his body as Justice took over. His booming voice only made Faith angrier.

"You foolish girl. You think that helping a blood mage is sensible? Anders doesn't want to do this. He won't go with you. Now why don't you leave him alone?"

"Shut up, Justice! I know what I'm doing and I advise _you_ to leave him alone, you demon!"

Justice unstrapped his staff and banged it against the ground. He took a few menacing steps towards Faith, who glared back at him.

"I am NOT a demon, you fool!" He bellowed.

"You think I'd go if I knew Merrill was dangerous? I _**know**_ she has a good heart. _You_, on the other hand, I'm not so sure!" Faith growled back at him.

Anders fell to his knees, panting - then straightened up, a horrified expression on his face.

"What just happened? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Justice happened, that's what," Faith replied, still nettled. "I told him to leave you alone, by the way. I bet he probably hates me. That's fine. I'm not afraid of him."

"Did I hurt you?" Anders asked in an anguished tone. He took a step towards her, but she raised her hands and asked him to stop.

"It's alright, Anders. I don't want to cause you further pain. I think it's better if we stopped seeing each other for a while. That way, you can get your priorities straight. I am ready to help you and Justice, but I won't let him walk all over me or control me!" She spun around to leave the clinic.

"Wait! Faith, please don't go!" Anders cried out.

But Faith did not look back and all Anders could do was watch her disappear around the corner.

_She's a distraction, but I like her. _

"Shut up, Justice," Anders snarled.

...

Fenris accompanied Faith and the rest of her party to Sundermount. He didn't mind and was so grateful for what she had done for him in the past, that he would probably have faced an ogre or two for her and then some.

They arrived in Sundermount early in the afternoon. The trip itself was uneventful, and since it was a hot day, by the time they got there the group was silent, tired and thirsty. Once in the Dalish camp, they rested and had something to eat, gulping down great quantities of water with their meal.

When they walked up to Keeper Marethari, Faith saw Merrill had started to fidget, and her eyes looked fearful, kind of like a deer's when sniffing out a predator. She felt sorry for Merrill and stood right next to her.

Merrill took strength from Hawke standing by her side and demanded to be given the tool she needed to finish the mirror. She also said she was invoking **vir sulevanan**, which turned out to be performing whatever task the keeper gave them in exchange for the arulin'holm - the tool Merrill was asking for.

The keeper seemed a little angry at Merrill, so Faith interrupted then and asked her to be a little less 'elfy' when she talked, so she could understand better.

As she suspected, this comment earned her a smile from the keeper, and lessened the tension in the air. Since the keeper relaxed, so did Merrill, and Faith felt better because of it.

The keeper then sighed as she gave them their task. "A varterral has taken the lives of three of our hunters. It lairs in a cavern in the mountainside. Seek it out and slay it. No one else must fall to its anger. Do this for us," the keeper paused and looked straight at Merrill for a moment, "and I will give you the arulin'holm." She bowed her head. "May the Dread Wolf never catch your scent."

They bowed their heads respectfully and walked away. Merrill looked even more troubled than before.

"What is it Merrill?" Faith asked.

"The varterral is a terrible beast. It will be quite a battle to slay it." She sighed.

"What does it do?" Faith inquired curiously.

"It spits out poison that paralyzes you and takes your health away. And it's enormous...bigger than any spider."

"Wonderful," Faith said sarcastically. "And here I thought this whole trip was too easy."

...

Anders flattened himself against the rock, listening to the sounds above. He had been through the tunnels as stealthily as he could, climbing up wooden stairs and avoiding confrontation with the lyrium smugglers. When he had first seen them and realized what they were from eavesdropping on their conversations, he suddenly knew that these tunnels were also used to supply extra amounts of lyrium to the templars. He was so angry that he pondered on actually sending out a fireball and frying the whole lot to a crisp, but he had refrained - better to save his mana for a real emergency.

Now, he was no longer deep in the tunnels, but at the entrance to the gallows. He hoped the sounds he had heard were actually the mages waiting above for him, for if that wasn't the case, he would find himself arrested - or worse - executed on the spot.

_You cling to life too easily. You still don't understand the meaning of real courage._

"No," he muttered back at Justice. "I'll leave the 'real courage' to you."

Justice said nothing to this. Anders braced himself for the worse, and pushed the trapdoor above his head open. He now heard nothing above him, so he hoisted himself through the opening.

The room he found himself in was darker than the tunnels had been. Peering around, he prayed inwardly to Andraste for the three mages to materialize before him.

A noise on his right made him turn and he saw a child cowering behind some crates. He gave a sigh of relief and relaxed.

"Are you Carla? Or... Jasper?" He asked, his voice low and kind.

Another voice made him look harder, and he blinked because the person seemed familiar to him.

"Are you our rescuer?" The female mage asked as she took halting steps closer to him.

"Yes," he said, taking in the honey-colored eyes that regarded him. Where had he seen those eyes before? "My name is Anders. We have to hurry."

The young lady started at the name, but said nothing else, and quickly took the children's hands. Anders told her he would go first, that way she could lower the children to him, and he would safely carry them down to the ground below. She nodded.

Once they were back in the tunnels, he turned to the children and asked them to be very, very quiet.

"There are men with swords around," he cautioned. "We do not want them to see us."

The children nodded and clung to the woman, who smiled reassuringly down at them. Anders's brow furrowed in thought, vainly trying to remember why she seemed familiar, but Justice broke through his reverie, demanding they leave at once.

They kept to the shadows, hugging the walls and hiding behind bushes along the way, which made their progress slow.

They were nearing the place where the lyrium smugglers had set camp, so he warned them to be especially quiet and keep low. They all nodded to this. The smallest one trembled slightly, but the brother held out his hand to his sister and smiled at her reassuringly. Anders's resolve strengthened when he saw the simple gesture and he swore to protect them at all cost.

They practically crawled through the bushes, inching their way past and away from the fire the men were sitting around. They were eating and drinking, laughing and talking loudly.

_Just a few more feet...just a few more...and we're past them..._

The little girl's hand landed on a spider web, and she squeaked. The men stopped talking and drew their swords. Anders swore and stood up, staff at the ready, and all hell broke loose.

...

Faith stood in front of the huge, ugly creature that roared at her. Her initial shock over, she threw a fire bomb at it, disappearing at the same time and reappearing on the other side, her daggers slashing at its spindly legs. The varterral roared again, but in pain this time.

Merrill deftly sent out a sleeping spell and the creature stood still, asleep on the spot. Fenris yelled as he rallied the team, and jumped lithely through the air, bringing his hammer down on the creature's head. Faith slashed at its tender underbelly and Varric's archer lance tore a hole through one of its legs, nearly severing it on the spot.

The sleeping spell wore off, and the varterral gave a different scream. Half a dozen giant spiders dropped down from the ceiling above, and Faith understood that it had summoned them to help win the fight. Gritting her teeth, she flung another fire bomb at the group of spiders, killing two of them instantly and badly burning a third one. Varric's arrows managed to slow the remaining spiders to a crawl and they were able to once again focus on the varterral.

Fenris slammed at the varterral from behind, and Faith took advantage and used vendetta to attack it again. The creature turned to face them and opened its ugly mouth spitting a truckload of poison at them. They both jumped out of the way, right into the path of the remaining three spiders.

Merrill yelled and flung a winter's grasp spell on the varterral, immobilizing it for a few minutes, so Faith and Fenris were able to finish off the spiders. The varterral, however, managed to break through the ice, and now reared up on its hind legs, turning to slam down on Fenris and Faith. Merrill sent out a horror spell at it that made it stop in its tracks and allowed Fenris to leap into the air and crash his huge hammer on its head. This time, there was a crunching sound and its skull broke. The varterral gave a last scream and went down.

They all drank health potions, then Merrill ran to Pol's quiet form on the ground.

"Pol! Help me, Hawke! We have to get him to the keeper. She'll heal him!"

Faith shook her head gently at Merrill. "Merrill, he's dead. Nobody can heal death, as far as I know. I'm sorry."

Merrill broke down and cried over his dead body. Fenris and Varric looked elsewhere, while Faith walked closer to Merrill and asked her if she wanted a moment alone.

But Merrill shook her head and said there was much to be done.

"Something is very wrong, Hawke. Pol should never have run away from me. He ran directly into the varterral's path! And...he acted like I was a monster."

"You _**are**_ a monster," Fenris growled behind Faith. Faith turned and glared at Fenris and he looked the other way.

"I - I need to speak to the keeper about this. Let's go," Merrill said quietly.

They left the cavern where they had fought the varterral and Faith felt sorry for Merrill. Even so, she finally understood why Anders berated her so often. Merrill simply did not understand that blood magic was wrong. She didn't use it to harm others. But in time, it would end up consuming her eventually turning her into an abomination.

Faith sighed. As much as she liked Merrill, she could not allow that to happen. Even if it meant berating her herself.

...

Once they finally arrived at the stairs that would take them back to Darktown, Anders breathed out an audible sigh of relief. The children held on tightly to the young woman's skirts and the older boy, Jasper, looked up at Anders with adoration in his eyes.

The fight had been shorter than he thought it would be. The young woman had helped and the magic she held was extraordinary. The mercenaries and lyrium smugglers had been effectively killed and they had finally managed to find their way to the entrance that led to Darktown.

"Thank you so much, Anders," the girl said quietly.

Anders turned to look at her, straight into her large honey-colored eyes. He suddenly remembered where he had seen them.

"You say your name is Mary Anne, right?" He asked, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"I cannot lie to you. I took that name when I arrived in Kirkwall," she said softly, a smile playing on the corner of her lips.

"You're Rilka, right? Rilka Amell.."

"That's right! You remember me from the tower?" She asked in disbelief.

"I remember you all right," Anders chuckled. Rilka blushed and looked away. "Hey, don't worry about it. You were, what? Eight? Nine?"

"I was five. But I followed you around until I was ten. Shamelessly too..." Her blush deepened and Anders burst out laughing.

"And I was a foolish fifteen-year-old," he grinned. She smiled at this and relaxed visibly. Anders's grin deepened.

They had been walking away from the entrance to the tunnels and now stood right in front of the doors to his clinic.

"Is this where you live?" Rilka asked timidly.

"Yes and no. I'm the healer here. The only healer in Kirkwall, as a matter of fact," he smiled. He asked them to come inside the clinic, while he busied himself making them some sandwiches, smiling as he chatted with Rilka about Ferelden and her reason for leaving. She, too, had fled the Blight just like so many others had.

"Evelina, the woman who asked me to help you escape will be coming shortly." Anders stopped talking as he remembered how much Leandra Amell wanted to find her cousin. And now standing before him was her cousin's daughter, alive and well.

"I know that Evelina is arranging with others to get us away from here. To Tevinter," Rilka said, smiling at Anders as she bit into her sandwich.

"Yes, she told me the others had arranged this. But before you go anywhere, there is someone I think you should meet," Anders said, his smile deepening into a grin.

...


	11. Plans and Tribulations

_**Anders has a run-in with Alrik and we never see it in the game? For shame! **_

_**Yes, Faith is jealous. Yes, Anders is passionate. Mix the two and what do you get? Read on to find out...hehehe! **_

_**PheonRen, you rock! LadyCallia, your reviews make my day! THANK YOU SO MUCH! **_

_**Bioware you know what...lol **_

Chapter 11 - Plans and Tribulations

When Evelina arrived at Anders's clinic with a worried look on her face, he could tell she had bad news.

"Ah, great job, Anders. Thank you so much! Hello, my dear," she greeted Rilka warmly and then knelt down to say hello to the children. "And who are you, pray tell?"

"I'm Jasper, Mistress," the boy spoke up in a high-pitched voice, "and this is my sister, Carla."

"I'm very pleased to meet you," Evelina said and solemnly shook their hands. The little girl giggled and Anders saw at once that Evelina certainly had a way with children that was endearing. He then asked her to sit and waited for her to speak.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news. The leader of our organization has not been successful in securing passage for them aboard any ship to Tevinter yet. They'll have to stay in Kirkwall...hidden...until she manages to do that." Anders heard Rilka gasp and saw her hand fly to her mouth.

"Can you hide us, Evelina?" Rilka asked hurriedly.

"I can hide the children. I have rescued many of them. Some of them are now in good homes, both in Lowtown and here in the Undercity. Others have stayed on as my own children. I'll keep them safe. But I have no space for you, I'm afraid," Evelina said sadly, looking at Rilka.

"I think I know someone who can help us, Evelina. I still have to see if she will. She lives in Hightown. And she was looking for your mother, as far as I know..." Anders's eyes twinkled at Rilka as he spoke. He was trying hard to look nonchalant and failing miserably.

"Looking for my mother?" Rilka echoed in a puzzled tone.

"Your mother's name was Revka, am I correct?" Anders asked.

"Yes, I think it was. Why?"

"Your mother's cousin lives in Hightown. Her daughter and I are...close friends. I'm sure she wouldn't object to helping you out, until you can secure passage aboard a ship that will take you to Tevinter," Anders finally explained. Both Evelina and Rilka stood there, mouths slightly open in surprise.

"My mother came from Kirkwall? And I thought we were Fereldan!"

"You're from Ferelden?" Evelina asked interestedly. Anders burst out laughing.

They turned to look at him at the same time, unable to understand why he was laughing , but he just shook his head and held up a hand. "Sorry. It's just that I see you both have a lot to talk about. I'll go see what Mistress Hawke...er...that's her married name..." he explained hastily, "has to say and will return shortly. Is that all right with you?"

They both nodded and Anders grinned at them and left. As soon as he was out of Darktown, he sprinted into a run and did not stop till he arrived at the Hawke estate.

...

Faith stood outside Merrill's house in the Elven alienage and put the arulin'holm into her backpack. She had just had her first real fight with Merrill and felt terrible. She'd wait for her to calm down and talk to her later.

She frowned all the way back home and kept going back to the way Merrill had accused her of stealing the precious ancient Elven tool, which she had not, since the keeper herself had given it to her for safekeeping. She only hoped that when she next visited Merrill she could finally manage to explain why she had done it.

Sighing, she figured a nice warm bath was what she needed. It had been a weird day and she felt tired and sad.

The evening was particularly nice since the whole sky was full of stars and Faith stopped once or twice to look at them before she reached the estate. She gave a sigh of contentment once the torches that lit the front door of her estate came to view. Pausing only to slide her key into the lock, she opened the door and stepped inside.

Voices coming from the main hall made her stop to listen. Her mother was talking excitedly to someone dressed in long robes. She crossed the foyer to enter the hall, when she out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar figure dressed in a coat with feathered pauldrons that made her heart flutter. She avoided looking at him and took a few more steps until she was in the room. Then the person in long robes turned to face her with a smile on her face and she stopped in her tracks.

A girl, clearly a mage, looked at her with a smile on her lips, her honey-colored eyes twinkling. She was young and beautiful. Faith stole a glance at Anders and saw that he was looking at the girl warmly. A monster reared its head inside her and growled.

"Darling!" She heard her mother say above the growling that had turned into a roar. "This is Rilka Amell, your cousin! She is my cousin Revka's daughter! Anders found her! Isn't that wonderful?"

"Hello, cousin," Rilka said in a lovely sing-song voice. Faith stared and could not say a word. She was having trouble enough keeping the monster at bay.

"She is younger than you are - only eighteen, but I'm sure you two will get along together splendidly!" Leandra continued in a high-pitched, excited voice.

Faith opened her eyes wider. "What?" She managed to utter.

"She's a mage. But of course I said that already," Leandra giggled. "I've told you about Revka and her daughter many times. You remember, don't you?"

Faith shook her head in disbelief, and Leandra misunderstood her. "You don't remember? Well, I can tell you again if you want me to. Revka left shortly after her husband -"

"Stop!" Faith said, holding up her hand.

Leandra stopped talking and pouted. Faith slapped a hand to her face, wishing for a giant marble tub filled to the brim with warm water to materialize suddenly in front of her. She giggled into her hand when she thought of what Anders's reaction to seeing her naked would be. Taking her hand off her face, she looked at Leandra who was now on the verge of tears.

"Oh, shit," she said aloud, and then wished she hadn't said anything.

"Language, dear!" Her mother said automatically.

"Sorry, mother. It's just that all this is a little hard to process..."

The girl, Rilka, was now taking turns looking at her and then at Leandra, her honey-colored eyes sad and misty.

Faith shook her head and turned to Anders. "You _found_ her, huh? And just where did you _find_ her Anders?"

Anders turned pink and coughed. "In Darktown. She had just escaped from the tower. They were going to make her a Tranquil," he lied.

"Is this true?" She rounded up on poor Rilka, who stammered and then fell silent.

"Faith!" Her mother intervened, a disapproving tone in her voice. "You know very well what mages suffer here in Kirkwall. How can you even doubt what Anders is saying?"

"I don't doubt what he is saying, mother. I know they do that to mages here. What I don't believe is that he _happened_ to find her wandering around Darktown. He isn't telling us something, and I want to know what," Faith answered, turning an accusing glare at Anders, whose pink color had changed to a deep vermillion.

"Hey!" He protested, "I just wanted to help out. There is no need to snap at me, you know! I think we should all just calm down and -"

"What's the matter? Afraid of Justice coming out to play?" Faith sneered.

"Who's Justice?" Leandra inquired interestedly.

Anders flung his hands up in the air and turned to leave, but Faith caught him by the arm. "Oh no, you don't. You aren't going anywhere until you tell us where she really came from, serah!"

"I'm so sorry to have caused so much trouble," the girl said in a quavering voice. "This is all my fault. I'll leave right away and you won't see me again, I promise."

"You'll do no such thing," Faith retorted as her other hand went out and grabbed Rilka's arm. "We're family. And family sticks together - no matter what! Understand?"

Rilka gave her a timid nod and Faith let go of her arm.

"Faith, what in the world has gotten into you?" Leandra asked in a shocked voice. "You've never been so aggressive! Rilka needs a place to stay until she can board a ship to Tevinter to escape the circle and templars!"

"Which is why she should stay and stop saying she's leaving. And which is exactly _**why**_," she stressed the word, "Serah Anders should tell us exactly how he happened to find her and where. If she is staying here, we need to know the truth!" On that note, she just stood there, glaring at Anders.

Anders felt himself melt into a pile of goo. He was now sporting a raging erection and too afraid to move, for he knew that if he moved, it would be to grab Faith and kiss her. And he didn't want to do that in front of her mother and cousin. He stood there breathing heavily, as heavily as Faith was, and broke into a sweat.

Andraste help him, he wanted her! He wanted her now!

"Well, Anders?" Faith said, still breathing heavily. "Are you going to tell us, or what?"

"Yes," he whispered, still not daring to move. Faith relaxed her grip a bit but did not let his arm go. She could feel the muscles below his thin coat flexing and this movement suddenly sent a shiver through her body. She let go of him and blushed, lowering her eyes.

Anders gave an audible gasp and struggled to control himself. His erection was now throbbing. Painfully.

"It doesn't matter where he found her," Leandra said firmly. "What matters is that he saved her from the templars. _That_ is what is important." She turned to Rilka, and put an arm around her. "Come on, my dear. I'll take you to your room."

Leandra and Rilka went up the stairs, Leandra talking to Rilka all the way up. Her voice was silenced only when she had closed the door that led to the upstairs corridor behind her.

Anders and Faith continued to stand there, frozen in the same positions for a while. Faith suddenly looked up and saw that Anders was staring at her, his pupils dilated, nostrils flaring, for he was still breathing heavily. She wet her lips.

That did it. Anders ignored Justice's scream, took two steps, swept Faith into his arms and crushed his lips on hers. And Faith kissed him back. Her hands went up and entwined themselves around his neck and Anders moaned into her mouth. Her lips parted and he snaked his tongue into hers. His arms held her so close, she felt herself meld into him. One of his hands went to the nape of her neck and dug deeply into her hair, and the band that had held it in a ponytail fell to the floor. Her hair fell over his hand and he moaned again, tilting his head to the other side, still devouring her mouth with his. Their tongues played deliciously with each other, their hands caressed, their passion grew, their -

A door slammed somewhere near the kitchen and they flew apart, eyes wide open, warm brown into sapphire blue. Anders was panting.

Sandal walked into the room. "Hallo!" He cried out loudly, giving them a toothy grin.

They turned to him, lips red and slightly swollen, cheeks flushed pink, unable to answer him. Bodahn then appeared behind Sandal.

"Oh, hello, Master Anders. Would you like anything to eat or drink, serah?"

Anders found his voice. "No, thank you Bodahn." Bodahn's face cracked into a smile. He turned to Sandal. "Come on, my boy. I'll heat some milk up for you."

Sandal clapped his hands. "Enchantment!" He cried out as he followed his father out of the room and into the kitchen.

Anders bowed his head and rested his forehead against Faith's, smiling crookedly at her. Faith's heart fluttered amidst its loud beating. She bit her lip slightly and smiled shyly at him. Anders captured her lips again in a gentle kiss this time.

When their lips parted, Faith was extremely grateful that he was holding her, for her knees had turned to jelly. She was totally wet and completely light-headed. She blushed, a deep, luscious, dark red and Anders chuckled.

"I couldn't help myself," he murmured, his hand caressing her right cheek softly.

"It's about time," she replied in a whisper. "Took you more than two years, but you finally got there..."

"We really shouldn't, you know," Anders replied a little sadly.

"Don't tell me you're backing out of it now," Faith snapped.

As a reply to this, he smiled at her, kissing her cheek, his lips slowly traveling to her lips again.

"Never," he mumbled into her mouth. Then hummed as he kissed her fervently. He slowly ended the kiss and rested his forehead on hers again. "I couldn't bear it. I love you Faith. I've held back from saying it. I've loved you since I met you. And my love for you keeps growing, no matter what."

"I love you too, Anders. And I'm glad you finally got your priorities straight."

Anders could hear Justice muttering something about Faith being an obsession deep inside him, but he ignored it completely. He had never felt so happy in his entire life.

"Let's go to the sitting room. We have things to talk about. Well...I have things to tell you," Faith said quietly as she took his hand in hers, and led him out the room.

...

It was rather late when Anders headed back to his clinic. He was walking with a spring to his step, thinking back on the wonderful kisses he had shared with Faith. His happiness was causing Justice to groan and complain every few minutes and Anders ended up snapping at him and telling him to shut the fuck up. Justice was mercifully silent and Anders broke into a grin.

He relived the conversation they had shared afterwards and was even happier when she had showed him the arulin'holm and told him about Merrill. Then he remembered that he was about to tell her everything, when Leandra had called Faith from the stairs, asking her to come to talk to Rilka. He remembered Faith walking him to the door, and sharing a passionate goodnight kiss, with a promise to continue their conversation the following day.

Without even noticing it, he stopped in his tracks, for he was already in Darktown. He went down the set of stairs that led to the clinic, then up the second set, but froze as he regarded the doors. His heart started pounding. He was sure he had left the doors closed and locked, yet one of them stood slightly ajar. He paused, and inched forward, until he managed to get close enough to peer inside.

_Take out your staff __**now**__! There is a templar inside! _

Too late to heed Justice's warning, the door rammed open into him and he was jerked inside by a steel gauntlet and flung to the floor.

"I've heard enough about you," a cold voice rasped, as Anders scrambled back up on his feet, and faced his assailant. Pale ice-blue eyes regarded him with hatred. He didn't dare whip out his staff, for the templar had his sword out, and was pointing it directly at his heart. "Your stupid friend, Karl Thekla, got what he deserved. I only wish you were in the circle to do the same to you."

Anders felt the rage start at the pit of his stomach and Justice cheered him on.

"The only reason I don't run you through with my sword is that I have orders from the Knight Commander herself not to touch you," the templar snarled. "But I'm here for another reason. There has been another break out from the Gallows. I wonder if you had anything to do with that?" He stepped closer, his sword stopping at Anders's coat.

Anders still said nothing. He was struggling to keep his anger in check, ignoring Justice's screams completely. He returned the templars glare, and did not blink. The templar burst out laughing. "Ah, but you have guts, I see! Unusual for a mage, for all mages are cowards! Tell me, mage. Do you or do you not have anything to do with the Mage Underground?"

Without flinching, Anders looked him squarely in the eye and spoke one word.

"No."

He did not waver, did not move. His voice was strong and firm.

The templar's lips turned upwards into a cruel smile. "Very well. Since you are a Grey Warden, and I am under strict orders to leave you alone, I will walk away. But know this: if I find out you are helping the mages escape, or that you have ties to the Mage Underground, you _will_ get the brand. Understand?"

Anders gave him a curt nod. The bald templar turned heel and walked out of the clinic, disappearing into the night.

_Why didn't you strike him down? _

"It's not time yet."

_You fool. What am I going to do with you?_

"How about trusting me? You say you are my friend. Friends trust each other."

And Justice did not reply or speak again for the remainder of the night.

...

Anders did not sleep at all that night. He tossed and turned on his small cot, and it creaked all night long. He pounded on his flat worn out pillow and got up several times to check the door. By the time the sun came up over the horizon, he was tired and nervous, the dark circles under his eyes now reaching his cheeks.

He spent the next couple of hours straightening up and cleaning the clinic. Evelina stopped by and remarked on how terrible he looked. He did not smile, but asked her to sit down.

"Have you ever seen a bald templar, with light blue eyes, cold as ice -"

Evelina's gasp told him what he needed to know. He sighed heavily.

"His name is Alrik. He has been going on and on about making all mages Tranquils for some time now. There is word from other sources that he has a plan to do this before the end of the year. He first has to take the proposal to Val Royeaux though. He won't stop till he gets approval from the Divine herself, and sunders the mind of every mage in Kirkwall. He calls his plan 'The Tranquil Solution'." Evelina stopped talking. Anders was getting redder by the minute. He was breathing heavily with rage.

"Well," he said finally, his eyes flashing dangerously, a soft blue glow emanating from his body. "We'll see about that, won't we?" Then the blue glow disappeared and he turned to smile at her.

Evelina, who felt something had changed in Anders, frowned worriedly. Anders laughed at this.

"Don't worry Evelina. Everything's going to be all right now. You'll see."

...


	12. Hawke to the Rescue

_**Thanks to PheonRen for her patience and her lovely reviews. Thank you LadyCallia for your awesome reviews and feedback, as well as for your suggestions and unconditional friendship! YOU ROCK! Thank you HyperPenguin for your review - It made my day! :D **_

_**Hope you all are having a great weekend so far! **_

_**Bioware owns...**_

Chapter 12 - Hawke to the Rescue

As it turned out, the person who told Faith about her escape from the Gallows was Rilka herself. Anders hadn't mentioned anything about the Mage Underground to Faith nor had he told Faith about Rilka's escape. Not yet anyway.

Rilka grew close to Leandra and Faith. When the time came for her to leave, they cried and clung to each other in an affectionate embrace. She had been hidden in the Amell Estate for two months and was very grateful for their help. She promised to keep in touch through letters as she left one misty morning for the Docks, escorted by Anders and Faith herself.

The months dragged on and time passed quickly. Anders was still very much in love with Faith. When they saw each other and were alone, they would kiss and murmur phrases of endearment. He wanted to protect her more, however, and when they were out performing jobs, the worry and anguish he felt when she fought kept his heart in his throat.

They also did not hide the fact that they were in a romance either. Sometimes they would be walking along the Wounded Coast on a job, and they would hold hands. When the party stopped to set up camp or take a break they would kiss and murmur loving phrases to each other quietly. They grew closer, and their love grew...but they had not yet had sex, nor spent the night together.

And Faith was grateful for that in a way for there was something she had not told Anders about herself...

She was still a virgin.

Anders very much wanted to take her to bed and make love to her all night, but he didn't know where for starters. The thought of his small cot back in the clinic made him laugh and he was quite sure he didn't want their amorous night to disrupt Leandra's sleep. He most certainly did not want to pay for a room at The Hanged Man, what with Varric and Isabela living there, nor did he want to pay for a room at the other taverns or inns, for he thought the first night with her had to be special. So he kept controlling himself until he found a way, and _still_ went to sleep on his rickety cot every night aching for her.

Faith's companions noticed that Anders had changed a bit. He brooded more often than not. He would still joke around with Varric from time to time, and would still tease Aveline a bit. But he was also more impatient, and definitely a little more aggressive when it came to templars. Unknown to everyone in the group, he had been steadily helping the mages escape from the Gallows in the months that followed his harrowing encounter with Ser Alrik.

One particular sunny morning Faith had asked her companions to help her out. She hadn't wanted to take the job at first, for the person they would be helping was the holier-than-thou, blinding-armored Prince Sebastian Vael. Plus they had to go to the Chantry, a place she preferred to stay out of. But she knew Sebastian paid well, and even though she still had money saved from the Deep Roads Expedition, more wouldn't hurt. Besides, knowing Sebastian, it would probably involve something dangerous, and the thought appealed to her.

So, as it turned out that sunny morning, Varric, Isabela and Anders followed her into the Chantry. Up the stairs they went, looking for Sebastian. Faith groaned inwardly when she saw him talking to none other than that old biddy, the Grand Cleric Elthina.

The group stopped in front of Elthina and Sebastian, who were both in animated discussion. Elthina was obviously not pleased about something and Sebastian was trying to convince her that something had to be done.

Faith rolled her eyes.

Sebastian noticed her and exclaimed, "Hawke! We were just talking about you!"

"By all means, carry on! I love eavesdropping!"

"Hawke said sarcastically," Varric interrupted nonchalantly.

"You know, I hate it when you do that," Faith turned to Varric.

"Hawke muttered in an angry aside to the dwarf," Varric shot back, without missing a beat.

A strangled chuckle escaped Anders behind them both, and the look on Isabela's face was a cross between angelic and wicked.

"Ah, if you two don't mind, I'd like to speak to you about something?" Sebastian smiled at them both. He then proceeded to tell them that he had discovered who had been behind the attack on his family. Apparently a rich family living in Kirkwall, the Harimanns, had carried out the deed. He needed to confront Lady Harimann about this, and he needed moral support.

"Let me guess," Faith interrupted. "_I'm _the moral support?"

"Well, yes." Sebastian admitted sheepishly.

"This is why the cycle of violence never gets interrupted," Faith sighed.

Elthina found it appropriate to butt in at that moment. "You jest, but it is the truth." She turned to Sebastian, a pleading look in her eyes. "Please, Sebastian, reconsider. Your place is here, in the Chantry. Death is never justice."

Sebastian shook his head. "The Harimanns were my parents' allies. I must speak with Lady Harimann and find out what drove her to betray them." He turned to Hawke, and the light caught his armor and shone into her eyes, which caused her to shut them painfully, while she struggled to keep her anger in check. "If you'd like, I can travel with you until you confront Lady Harimann."

The thought of having Sebastian following her around made her cringe. "No. We might as well get this over with. Let's go."

Grand Cleric Elthina smiled at Faith, and delivered a parting comment that made Faith want to slap her. "If this allows Sebastian to make peace, it is worth doing. You've taken on lesser causes..."

Furious at Elthina, Faith turned abruptly, her eyes meeting Anders's for a few seconds. When she saw the angry look in his eyes, she smiled. It was good to know that he felt the same way she did about the Grand Cleric.

They all left the Chantry and headed out to the Harimann's Estate.

...

The door to the Harimann's estate was unlocked. Faith ignored Sebastian's stupid comment about it being strange, and stepped inside, the rest following her closely. Anders's hand caught hers and he squeezed gently, then let go. She smiled at the gesture as they quietly went up the stairs and started to explore, looking for Lady Harimann.

When they rounded a corner, they came to a set of stairs that led to the kitchens. A drunk woman was standing beside a wine barrel, shouting at it insanely. Faith blinked and got closer. She must have been imagining things, because the woman was actually yelling at the wine barrel to serve her more wine.

"Flora!" Sebastian addressed the woman, taking a step forward. "What are you doing?"

Faith bit her tongue. It would not do to come out and answer Sebastian's stupid question sarcastically. He might do something nasty, like turn and blind her again with his shining armor. She smiled at her thoughts. The woman paid no attention to Sebastian or anyone else, and continued to yell at the barrel for more wine. As they left the scene, Varric commented that he didn't envy anyone in this house the following morning.

They continued on, opening doors. Faith started to open chests and remove most of their contents. Isabela even helped her pick some of the locks. Sebastian only protested once to all this, but kept his mouth shut when they **all** turned to glare at him ominously.

Another door was unlocked, and it led to a corridor and more closed doors. One of the doors was open, so Faith stepped inside.

A man was melting heaps of gold in a pot, which was suspended over a fire pit. Faith shook her head, trying to control the bubbling laughter that threatened to overcome her.

"More logs, more gold! Find all the gold jewelry in the house! All of it must be melted!" He yelled at an elven servant, who was holding a dagger to an elven woman's throat. "When all of it is melted, we must pour it over her!"

Sebastian reacted violently to this, causing Faith to lift an eyebrow, slightly amazed at his reaction. "No! Don't! You'll kill her!"

The elven servant heard Sebastian, and walked over to him, the dagger glinting in his hand. Sebastian promptly lifted his right hand, balled it into a fist and punched the servant out cold. The girl ran off, escaping her 'golden future' while the rest of them just stared.

"We must end this madness!" Sebastian cried out.

The strange man fixed his gaze at the gold bubbling in the pot, oblivious to anyone and everything else. "Perhaps I should be the one..." he muttered to himself thoughtfully.

Faith led them out towards another open door which led up to a flight of stairs. They arrived at a landing and she saw one door at the far end that was open. She walked briskly in, and stopped in her tracks, the rest doing the same.

A naked man sat on a bed - an elven girl kneeling before him. The girl took the man's penis in her mouth and proceeded to suck it, causing the man to pant and squirm with pleasure. Varric's eyes widened, and Anders felt an erection starting, while Isabela started to smile. Faith, who had never before even seen a man's penis, let alone know that _**that**_ was what could be done with one, blushed violently and her eyes widened until she was sure they would pop out of her sockets. Beside her, Sebastian blushed and tried to apologize for the scene before them, informing them that he had known this man all his life. Apparently, according to Sebastian, the man was a prude. Meanwhile, the girl continued to suck and lick, and Sebastian's red threatened to turn purple as Isabela exclaimed," That's my kind of prude!"

Faith was staring at the whole thing as if hypnotized. She found herself getting excited and blushed, stealing a glance at Anders. Anders happened to look at her at that moment and the urge to fling her to the floor and make love to her was so great, he had to turn and look the other way, his cheeks a flaming red.

When the man reached his climax, and his seed spurted out, Faith started. Isabela, whose keen eyes noticed everything, smiled to herself and made a mental note to have a 'girl talk' with Faith later on. Anders stole a glance at Faith and noticed her starting as well, and became suspicious. Had she never done this to a man before?

The man yelled, "Today I am more than a man! Come, felicitate me!" as he stood up.

Isabela burst out laughing. "I should use that line! Maybe I can have it embroidered on my blouse?"

Faith's eyes were on the man's penis, which was still hard and Anders took her hand and led her away from the room. The rest followed suit.

They stood on the landing for a while, gathering their wits. Sebastian stammered out another apology, and Faith chuckled suddenly. She looked up at Anders, who had a concerned look on his face and winked at him. Anders, surprised at the wink at first, let go of her hand, but pulled himself together and smiled, winking back at her.

"All right. Let's see what else this house has to offer," Faith sang out.

"I can hardly wait," Isabela replied with a chuckle.

...

They continued exploring and did not meet anyone else, until they arrived at the wine cellar. That's when things really started to happen.

The two men and woman they had encountered previously while exploring the house, stepped forward out of the shadows. "You shall not continue. Turn back!" The woman said.

"Funny that you should see us now, when you ignored us completely before," Faith sneered.

The three of them suddenly fell onto their knees and changed...into a desire demon and two shades. Faith attacked, the rest following suit.

The fight lasted only a few minutes, as they tore into the demon and shades, obliterating them completely. Faith cleaned her daggers on the remains of one of the shades, and looted the corpses while Sebastian exclaimed, "Demons! Temptresses! We must find out why they are here!"

They walked around the cellar. A little bit further along the way, they came to the corpse of a man, who looked like one of the Flint Company mercenaries, since he was wearing the uniform. Faith looted the corpse and found a handsome bow, which she stashed away. Walking further into the cellar, she found a trapdoor. Upon opening it, she peered into the semi-darkness below and without prior call to her team or warning, jumped lithely down.

When Anders caught up with her, he grabbed her arm. "Don't do that again! We have to check new areas before we barge into them, there could be something nasty around," he chided softly.

"Aw, darling. Don't you worry. I'm too fast for anything nasty to hurt me," Faith replied, batting her eyelashes at him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek. She then continued along the way, while Anders shook his head with a smile on his face.

Faith had stopped, amazed at what she was seeing. A long wooden staircase was leading down to the depths below. It looked like the Harimanns had more than just skeletons in their armoires.

They went down the stairs pausing once they arrived at the bottom. Faith gazed around what looked like a ruin. It stretched out for miles and miles. She felt excited about exploring this and turned to look at Anders, who was taking it all in with a furrowed brow.

"A ruin? Here in Hightown? I've never heard of anything like this!" Sebastian cried out.

"For the love of the Maker, man! Do the world a favor and try to keep quiet!" Faith snapped at him.

Sebastian looked totally ashamed, and Isabela stifled a giggle. Anders's frown changed to a grin, while Varric smiled up at Hawke, his eyes twinkling.

As soon as they advanced into the ruin, they were attacked by rage demons, and corpses. Faith jumped from one to the next, and Isabela followed suit. Varric slowed them down with their arrows, while Anders froze a group and shot a Stonefist spell at a corpse archer next to him, blowing it up to pieces. Sebastian slowly fired from his bow, successfully pinning down a couple.

The fight ended fast, and Anders asked if anyone needed healing, but nobody had been hurt. They continued on in high spirits, but as they went further into the ruins, the fights and enemies got tougher. In one case, they were attacked by a Revenant and an Arcane Horror, while corpses swarmed around the whole group. That was one of the tougher fights, and lasted a little longer. Sebastian got hurt by one of the corpses midway through the fight, and Anders had to send a healing spell in his direction, momentarily distracting him from the rest of the fight. When he focused again on the fight, he saw to his horror that the Revenant was now bringing its greatsword down on Hawke. Panicking, he sent out a fireball at the Revenant, which made it stop still for a few seconds. This allowed Hawke to nimbly disappear and reappear behind it, backstabbing it immediately. The Revenant went down and Faith actually laughed, moving on to the next enemy, an archer corpse that was aiming directly at her, while Isabela fought the Arcane Horror. Anders sent out a Winter's Grasp spell at the Arcane Horror, and Isabela dealt the killing blow right after.

Once that fight was over, they gathered before a door, and decided to take a short break. Water skins were brought out, and Anders went over to Faith and hugged her tightly, asking her if she was alright. They shared a kiss, while Sebastian looked away, and Varric and Isabela talked to each other.

"Right. Time to see what's on the other side of this door. Let's get moving," Faith called out and they all followed her through the door.

They found themselves in a vast chamber. Right at the end, Faith could make out two figures apparently deep in conversation. They all advanced quietly till they managed to listen in to what was being said.

Lady Harimann was demanding more power to a desire demon, who was gazing at her with an amused expression on her face.

"I have already given you much, and you have given me your sons and daughter in exchange. What else do you want?"

"I need to marry Flora to the simpleton on the throne so that we can rule Starkhaven!" Lady Harimann exclaimed. "I need more power!"

Faith turned and whispered something inaudible to Isabela, and Isabela whispered something back then grinned. Faith stepped forward, and the demon and the lady turned to face them.

"What's the going rate?" Faith asked sarcastically. "I'm told that fifty silver is what you pay a whore at The Blooming Rose."

"Who are you? How did you get here?" Lady Harimann cried out. "Sebastian! Is that you?"

Sebastian stepped forward, standing beside Hawke. "How could you murder my parents? They trusted you!"

The desire demon interrupted with her silvery voice, "Murder is such a strong word. I prefer 'remove the obstacle' better. You are no different. You, too, wish your lands back. You are even more ambitious. Say the word. You only have to kill everyone that gets in your way..."

Faith turned to Sebastian. "Don't listen to her. You'll make a fine ruler!"

The desire demon smiled sensuously at Faith. "I sense that you want power yourself," she crooned.

"Not if it means betraying my family!" Faith spat back at her. "Enough! Die demon!"

Faith whipped out her twin daggers and pounced on the demon, while the rest attacked as well. Lady Harimann was the first to go down, followed shortly by the demon.

"Let us return to the Chantry," Sebastian sad sadly. "I must pray for Lady Harimann's soul."

Faith rolled her eyes as she turned to leave, but she made sure she looted the bodies first.

...

She ended up having a big argument with Sebastian in the Chantry. Faith truly believed he should take back his lands and rule Starkhaven, but Sebastian insisted that his path was serving the Maker and staying in the Chantry. To top it all off, Elthina butted into the conversation several times, and Faith was at her wits' end. She remembered the bow she had looted from the dead Flint Company mercenary and thrust it into Sebastian's hands. Then she turned to leave, but found she could not, for Elthina was going on about the Maker this, and the Maker that. Isabela let her eyes roam over the Chantry statues, and Varric stared interestedly at the ceiling, while Anders squirmed uncomfortably in his place. Faith let the Grand Cleric go on until she said something that made her blood boil over.

"You are Fereldan, you know that the Maker saved them from the Blight!"

Faith took a few steps and stood right in front of Elthina. Barely controlling her rage, she looked at her squarely in the eye and said, "The Maker didn't save them from the Blight. The Hero of Ferelden did!"

Then, spinning around she walked off angrily, followed closely behind by Anders, Isabela and Varric.

Needless to say, she avoided the Chantry even more afterwards, which in her case meant she didn't go back at all.

...


	13. Bits and Pieces

_**Bioware owns everything...I swear! **_

Chapter 13 - Bits and Pieces

Faith stood outside Merrill's house trying to muster up the courage to finally go and speak some sense into her. She had avoided speaking to her for too long, and she felt worse for it. She had the arulin'holm in her pack to prove she was safekeeping it.

She finally shook her head and knocked on the door. Merrill opened it after a few minutes and gave her a watery smile, then let her in.

"Merrill, I have to talk to you," she began. Merrill kept the smile on her face, quietly waiting for her to speak. "I understand that the arulin'holm is very important to you and your clan. I wanted to tell you I'd never steal it. Look, I have it here in my pack." She brought out the tool for Merrill to see.

"I'm sorry I said those terrible things, Hawke. It's just that it hurt me to see you taking the keeper's side. I really don't want to use blood magic with it, just repair the mirror to help my people," Merrill said, her watery eyes on the tool. "But it doesn't matter anymore," she said with a sigh. "My people hate me, and I feel terrible. The other day, while I was out looking at the Vhenadahl, I thought I saw Pol looking at me. Everyone thinks I'm a monster."

"I don't think you're a monster, Merrill," Faith said quietly. "I truly want to help you. But I'm scared you'll lose yourself to blood magic. I don't want that to happen."

"I haven't been using blood magic at all. If it really scares you so much, I will try to never use it again, Hawke," she replied.

Faith lowered her eyes and looked at the carving tool she held in her hands. On an impulse she put the tool on the table carefully. "I'm giving you the tool, Merrill. I hope you can repair the mirror and finally help your people."

Merrill's eyes widened with surprise. She looked at Faith for a long time. "You're giving me the arulin'holm?" She breathed out. "Why?"

"Because I trust you, Merrill. That's what friends do. They trust each other," Faith replied with a smile.

Faith saw her blink back tears, then smile. It was some time before she spoke.

"I'll never forget this, lethallan. Thank you."

...

Faith stopped by The Hanged Man on her way back home. Isabela had told her she wanted to speak to her when she had the chance. She was tired but she was also a very curious person. Looking around, she caught a glimpse of Isabela at the counter and waved at her. Isabela waved back and pointed to a table. Nodding and smiling, she made her way to the table and sat down.

Isabela arrived after ordering some drinks. She sat and smiled at Faith.

"You wanted to see me, Captain?" Faith asked, a smile playing on the corners of her lips.

Isabela chuckled. "I want to talk to you about something. I noticed your reaction to some things while we were at the Harimann Estate." The drinks arrived and Isabela smiled at Edwina, then turned back to Hawke.

"Oh," Faith said. She couldn't think of anything else to say. 'Oh' seemed appropriate, under the circumstances.

Isabela burst out laughing. "You should see the look on your face! You look like a trapped animal ready to bolt out the door! Really, Hawke! There is nothing to be ashamed of. Though I must ask how it is that someone as beautiful as yourself has remained a virgin for so long..."

"I - um - spent most of my younger years training with Carver, my brother. We were on the run a lot, and I wanted to protect Bethany and my father from the templars," Faith said thoughtfully. "There wasn't time for love or other things..."

"But surely you were curious? Or liked someone?" Isabela asked, totally shocked.

"Oh, yes. I mean, I did experience my first kiss while I was in Lothering. But Carver was always following me around, and he found us kissing, so he started to tease something terrible. It never really got to be more than a kiss," she shrugged and went on, "After that, I devoted myself to practicing. I could never carry a sword, I found it too heavy. So I settled on daggers. There wasn't much time for anything else, as I said."

"You didn't have anyone else to kiss after that? I find that hard to believe, my dear," Isabela answered.

"No, it's just that, well. I never liked anyone well enough. I mean the boy I shared my first kiss with was different from the rest. But he moved out of Lothering and I never saw him again. I wasn't attracted to anyone else. And because of what happened, with my father and Bethany, well...there were other things on my mind," Faith said hastily.

"Yes, you told me about that and I'm sorry to have brought it up. But that's not why we're here, Hawke. I have to ask then, what do you know about sex?" She asked directly.

Faith felt her cheeks get warm. "I - I know men have penises and women have vaginas, and what you do when you have sex, if that's what you're asking..."

"Obviously you don't know enough. I saw you start in surprise. You had never seen a penis before, had you? And you'd never seen a man reaching his climax either, among other things," she chuckled again. "This is why I called you here. I think I should try to explain what it is that women do to men and men do to women before you and Anders get into it," Isabela said in an amused tone.

"Get into it?" Faith repeated dumbly.

"Have sex, you goose," Isabela retorted, rolling her eyes. "Don't you want to know so that you can at least know what is coming?"

Faith nodded her head. Rather vigorously.

Isabela chuckled again. "Then let's begin your sexual education," she smirked.

...

Faith was walking through Hightown rather slowly, Isabela's words fresh on her mind. It was a lot to process and she was feeling a bit dizzy and light-headed. She sat on one of the benches in the square, just outside her manor to collect her thoughts.

She never knew there were so many things you could do when you were having sex! The whole thing seemed more interesting now. She wondered why Anders hadn't taken her to a tavern or inn yet, or had sex with her back at the manor. It was, after all, _her_ manor. She sighed. Probably because of mother. He really respected mother. Her thoughts went back to Isabela's explanations and then dwelt on the last thing they had spoken about: Anders.

She knew that they had had something of a fling in Denerim. It had been during one of his escapes from the circle tower. She also knew it had been before he joined the Wardens. That was something she had discovered later on, while talking to him about Isabela, when they were still friends. She had been so relieved to discover that he wasn't interested in Isabela that way. It had just been a one-night fling, with another girl as a matter of fact. When she asked Isabela about it back at The Hanged Man, Isabela had laughed and told her that the electricity thing he did with his fingers was one of the best things she had experienced in her life. Which really was saying something, coming from Isabela.

A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts. She jerked her head up and saw the object of her affection walking towards her, his crooked smile making her heart flutter and her body tingle.

"What in the world are you doing here sitting all by yourself, love?" He asked as he sat beside her and gave her a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, just thinking about...things..." Faith answered slowly.

Anders laughed as he put his arm around her. "Things? They must be important. You hardly ever slow down to just sit somewhere to think." He bowed his head, his lips brushing her hair, breathing in her scent.

"Why haven't you made love to me yet?" She blurted out.

Anders froze for a few seconds, then straightened up to look at her. He blinked at her several times. Obviously, he hadn't been expecting that question.

"Well?" Faith quizzed again.

He grinned. "If you really want to, we can do it now. I wouldn't mind," he half-joked.

"Really?" Faith asked excitedly.

Anders burst out laughing. "Sweetheart, you should have told me you were this eager," he teased.

"I'm serious, Anders. I don't understand why we haven't yet. I want you to tell me why," Faith insisted.

"I felt uncomfortable about making love to you in your bedroom. With your mother in the same house, and everything."

"Once mother falls asleep, she hears nothing. She sleeps like the dead," Faith smiled.

"I didn't know that," Anders murmured, as he caught her lips in his, giving her a gentle kiss.

"But there are inns and taverns, right?" Faith asked, breaking away from the kiss.

"You really want to have this conversation, right?" Anders replied, then sighed. "All right then. I didn't take you to a tavern or inn because I wanted our first night together to be special. Because I love you and I think _you're_ special. Does that answer your question?"

Faith eyes had a dreamy look in them when he finished talking. "Oh, yes," she murmured, her eyes shining like stars. "That answers my question perfectly."

"Thank Andraste!" Anders exclaimed. "Now can we continue this inside? There are enough people staring at us as it is..."

Faith laughed and got up. Then she took his hand and led him into the manor.

Aveline was waiting for Faith. Anders's smile vanished. Even though he was grateful that Aveline kept the guard off his back, he really didn't like her.

"Hawke!" She exclaimed, giving a quick nod to Anders, "I need your help with something. Have you got a minute?"

"Sure Aveline. What's the problem?" Faith asked as she opened the door to the sitting room. Bodahn then appeared and asked if they would like some refreshments. Aveline shook her head, but Anders's stomach growled. Faith laughed.

"Bodahn, Anders and I will be having a late lunch, if that's all right?" She was pleased to see Bodahn nearly jumping for joy.

"That's very good to hear! I'll go set the table and get everything ready," he said happily then turned to leave in a hurry.

"A thorn in my side, Hawke," Aveline resumed talking. "Do you remember Emeric? The templar you helped years ago? He's been insisting that we carry on the investigation and wants some sort of official sanction. He won't give it a rest. He's asked to talk to you."

"I seem to recall he had some good leads," Faith mused.

"Then you won't mind checking it out?" Aveline asked.

"But why hasn't the guard helped him investigate?" Faith shot back.

"We have. We investigated the place he told us to, and found nothing. You can't imagine all the ass-kissing I had to go through after that! Bloody constable! Just go talk to him and see if what he says is worth it, Hawke. And take care of it. He's in the Gallows," Aveline said, standing up.

"Muzzle the geezer, got it!" Faith said eagerly.

"I'd never tell you to do that," Aveline shook her head. "But if you have to do it, then I won't protest either. If you find any good leads that are worth pursuing, let me know." She turned to leave then turned back slightly. "Thanks Hawke. I'll try not to make a habit of this. I'll see myself out."

Anders turned to Hawke. "Now where were we?" He asked as he brought his lips down on hers and started to kiss her.

...

After lunch, Faith asked Anders to accompany her to the Gallows Courtyard to speak to Emeric. Anders wavered.

"I don't know if I should go there, love. You know that I don't want to meet the templars. I'm an apostate mage running a clinic in the Undercity. I might as well hang a sign around my neck that says, _**'Arrest me.**_**'**"

"Why haven't they arrested you yet?" She asked.

"I think it has a lot to do with me being a warden, though I'm not so sure about that either. Who knows? Maybe it's because I'm charming?" He smirked.

"Oh, you!" Faith sighed, rolling her eyes.

"You don't think I'm charming?" Anders exclaimed in shock. "You wound me, Serah!"

Faith chuckled. "Well, I have to go see what Emeric wants. I want to get that over with as soon as possible."

"That's fine. I have to go get some supplies in the market here. Then I have to return to the clinic to mix up some potions. But I'll return later this evening... is that all right with you?" His eyes twinkled.

"That's perfect," she purred.

Anders crushed his lips on hers in a passionate kiss. His hands roamed over her back restlessly. One hand caressed her cheek and the other one went around her waist and ended up on her breast. Faith gave a gasp into his mouth. He massaged her breast and his hand slowly moved south.

"Anders?" She said in between kisses.

"Mmm?" He replied as he kissed her neck.

"I must tell you I'm a virgin," Faith replied breathing heavily.

Anders froze - one hand on her waist, the other just inches away from her navel. He lifted his head and stared at her.

"What?" He managed to say.

"I - I'm a virgin. I thought you knew..." She stammered out.

He straightened up, letting go of her fast in the process. "You thought I knew? Andraste's flaming tits! How am I supposed to know that?" He exclaimed as he broke into a sweat.

"Is this a problem for you?" Faith asked sadly and Anders felt like hitting himself for his reaction.

"Oh, sweetheart," he said softly, taking her hand in his. "No, it isn't a problem. It just surprised me, that's all." And he took her in his arms in a gentle embrace, really thankful he had not taken her to an inn or tavern. He kissed the crown of her head softly. He now understood why she had reacted the way she had to the sex scene at the Harimann's Estate.

"I... should head out to see Emeric," she said slowly.

Anders nodded. "I'll be back here later this evening. See you later, love."

...

Anders sat in front of a whole bunch of potions he had just finished preparing. Now that he had gotten that out of the way, his thoughts went back to Faith and the fact that she was a virgin. It really wasn't a problem, even though he had never made love to a virgin before. He knew it was painful for women the first time. He also knew he would have to work harder at exciting her and that didn't trouble him one bit. What bothered him was that he didn't know if she was really ready to have sex.

It boosted his ego to know he would be her first. He felt really special. It felt good. All his life he had been branded as a shallow jokester, a person that was fun to be with. He had never committed himself to anyone because he simply had not thought anyone would love him for himself. Then, of course, there was the fact that he was a mage. Mages could not fall in love. If they did, it gave the templars an advantage over them. So mages resorted to one-night flings or love affairs that ended fast.

But then Faith had come along and that changed things drastically for him. He wanted commitment. He wanted her. For as long as he lived.

_This girl has become an obsession. You should end it before it's too late._

"I love her. I can't stop myself from loving her. What do you know about love, Justice?" He shot back. "For you, love is nothing but a bunch of Kristoff's memories about his past life, isn't that right?"

Justice did not reply.

Eventually, Anders stood up and stretched. He walked to the room in the back, where his cot and water supply was kept, intending to give himself a good scrub down but decided against it. Instead, he headed out to The Hanged Man, where he paid for a private bath.

...

Faith returned from the Gallows, her brow furrowed in thought. It wasn't that the thought of breaking into Gascard Dupris's home troubled her. She actually liked the idea. It was the fact that she had hoped to have a romantic evening, and maybe even night, with Anders. Now she had a job to do and for the first time, the job was getting in the way of something that was more important for her.

She walked into her manor, and her mother greeted her at the door.

"Darling! I was about to leave you a message. My good friend, Almira, sent me a missive. It seems that her sister, Alessa, has disappeared and she is at her wit's end. She's been missing for two days now. She and her sister lived together alone in that big mansion. I've agreed to spend the night with her. You don't mind, do you?"

Faith shook her head silently.

"Oh, good! I've packed an overnight bag. I'll let you know if I have to stay an extra night with her also. I have to hurry. Take care my darling," she said, giving her a kiss and embracing her. Then she was gone.

Faith stood there for a few minutes, a bit dazed. Then she smiled.

"Fuck Gascard," she said to herself. "Bodahn?" She called out.

"Yes, Messere? What can I do for you?" Bodahn asked happily.

"Please heat some water up and prepare a hot bath for me," Faith said. "I'm going out, but will be back shortly." Bodahn nodded, smiled and left.

And Faith went back outside, straight to one of the many stores in the market. She had to buy something cute and sexy to wear and she had to do it fast.

...

_**A/N: Yes, the next chapter is DA SEX SCENE! Thank you all for following this crazy fic, lol! **_


	14. Crazy Little Thing Called Love

_**Warning! VERY explicit smut and sex scene ahead! Do not read if you do not like reading sex scenes, nor if you are at work! LOL**_

Chapter 14 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

When Anders arrived at the Hawke estate, it was later than he had originally intended. Varric had seen him at The Hanged Man and had insisted on a couple of drinks before he left. He drank only one glass and declined all future drinks, sticking to water. Isabela had joined them at the table. By the time he left, he was in a real hurry and hoped Faith would not be angry at him.

He stood in front the door and thought about knocking, but stopped himself. What if Mistress Hawke woke up? No, Faith had assured him that she was a heavy sleeper. He knocked timidly on the door. There was no answer. He guessed that Bodahn and Sandal would probably be in their beds asleep and panicked. What was he to do now?

Following an impulse, he put his hand on the door handle and jiggled it. To his surprise, he found the door unlocked. So he opened it and went inside, locking the door behind him.

Paws jumped up from his place next to the fireplace to greet him. He patted the dog and asked him to stay. Paws obediently sat still and watched as Anders quietly went up the stairs to the first floor landing and stopped at Faith's door.

Anders thought about knocking, but then decided against it. He hoped Faith hadn't fallen asleep. He opened the door slowly and received the shock of his life.

Faith was standing in front of the fireplace in her room, gazing into the fire. She had the most fetching dress Anders had ever seen on her. It was a short, black dress that showed off her fantastic legs. He didn't know what material the dress was made out of, but it was transparent, and as far as he could tell, she was only wearing panties. His penis sprang to life.

She was smiling at him shyly and his heart did a double somersault. Walking slowly towards her, he kept a smile on his face, while his eyes drank in her beautiful figure.

"You're finally here," she breathed, her eyes full of love for him. "I was worried that you wouldn't come."

He shook his head, while his arms encircled her small waist, leaning down to give her a tender kiss. He then rested his forehead on hers, and searched her eyes wistfully. "Are you sure about this, my love?"

Faith nodded her head, her violet-sapphire eyes burning with love for him. She was trembling and Anders knew at once that she was nervous, so he spoke to her to set her more at ease.

"You know, when I was in the circle, love was only a game. It gave the templars too much power if there was something you couldn't stand to lose. It would kill me to lose you, my love."

"You aren't going to lose me."

"Are you sure about this? I know it's a big step for you..." Anders said softly as he caressed her cheek.

"I want you Anders. I love you so much!" Faith exclaimed, kissing him fervently.

Anders let his hands roam around her back gently. One of them dug into her long hair and the other settled on her waist.

"Promise me," he whispered, "you'll tell me to stop if you don't want to continue..."

Faith said nothing. She was nervous and wanted to stop trembling, but she also knew that she wanted and needed Anders.

"Promise me?" He asked again gently as his hands softly went up to her face. He held her face in his hands and looked into her eyes lovingly.

"I promise," Faith whispered.

He kissed her again, and grazed her lips with his tongue. Her lips parted and his tongue found hers. The kiss was so passionate, it turned Faith's legs to jelly and she laughed weakly into his mouth.

He broke away, only to gaze questioningly into her eyes. She shook her head with a smile. "I'm just...nervous, I guess." Then she added, "I bought this dress today. I wanted to look beautiful for you..."

He was kissing her again. On her cheeks, her lips...

"You always look beautiful to me," he whispered, his tongue darting out and tasting her. She tasted as good as she smelled. His erection throbbed painfully.

"I think you should get comfortable, don't you think?" She asked playfully, as her fingers tugged at the leather straps that held his coat together. He smiled and helped her with the straps, then slipped out of his coat with ease, standing in front of her in a simple white long-sleeved tunic and leather breeches. Her eyes traveled down his body. She could see that it was lean, bordering on thin, true, but she loved it. Her eyes stopped at the bulge in his breeches, and she giggled nervously. Then her eyes caught a second bulge and she cocked her head to one side, unable to comprehend what she was seeing. Anders smiled at her movement, and pulled her to him, embracing her tenderly.

She pushed him away, shaking her head. "You aren't properly undressed yet, Ser," she reprimanded him, wagging her finger.

He caught the finger in his mouth and sucked it before letting it go. "Neither are you."

He kissed her again, and this time, her hands traced patterns on his shoulders, and muscled arms. He hummed into her lips, enjoying the feeling. Her inexperienced hands went lower, and he let them, eagerly waiting for her next move. She found the bulge and touched it trying to get her hand around it and - she pulled out a dagger from his pocket.

Faith stared at the dagger and Anders chuckled. "No, love. That's not what you want. Unless you intend on stabbing me?"

She giggled and he took the dagger from her hand and set it on the table next to the bed. Then he took off his tunic.

The light of the fire highlighted the thin blond hair on his chest, turning it golden red, and her eyes followed the sparse hair here and there all the way to his navel and below, where it disappeared under his breeches. Feeling a bit bolder, she tugged at the laces holding his breeches together impatiently.

Anders smiled at this. He had been watching her intensely and helped her undo the laces. His breeches fell to the floor and he stepped out of them, standing in his smalls. Faith's eyes locked in on the bulge that was straining to be free and her hand touched it gently. A gasp escaped Anders's lips and he struggled to control himself as she stroked over the fabric of his smalls. His large hand took hers away. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it.

"My turn," he whispered, as he put his hands on the buttons of her see-through dress, and started to unbutton slowly. When he was done he paused, a question in his eyes. She gave him a nod and he slowly slipped the fabric off her shoulders. He had been right. Faith was not wearing a breast band.

His eyes drank in her beauty. Her breasts moved up and down with each breath she took, and her nipples were hard against the cool air. He reached out and touched her breasts, slowly caressing them, his fingers tracing circles first on one nipple then the next. She took his hand and led him to the bed, stumbling over her dress en route and nearly falling.

He laughed softly as he caught her in his arms safely and took her to the bed, laying her down gently. His gentle smile soothed her, and she caressed his cheek as he brought his face down to kiss her. Then he kissed her cheek, and slowly worked his way to her ear. He whispered he loved her, then kissed her neck and his tongue darted out. He continued to kiss and lick her, eliciting soft moans from her from time to time. She had stopped trembling, but Anders knew she was far from relaxed. His fingers touched her breasts gently as his mouth kissed her neck. He played with her nipples and tweaked them gently, while he fixed his eyes on her, watching her every reaction. Her nostrils flared and she moaned again. He brought his head down and captured one of her nipples in his mouth. He sucked and licked, while her moans grew in intensity, her head moving from side to side. He focused on the other breast next, and his fingers still went up and down the length of her body, touching gently, feeling the softness of her skin and making her squirm with pleasure. He focused, calling forth his magic and sparks flew from his fingertips, touching her skin lightly. She began to moan louder, her hips suddenly thrusting upwards, as his fingers started their journey up and down her waist, her arms, her legs. Everywhere he touched, he did so with magic, so that she started to scream with pleasure.

He covered her mouth with his lips, devouring it in a passionate kiss, while his fingers continued to excite her beyond her limits. She was humming into his mouth, and he adored it. The electricity that sprang from his fingers had her thrusting her hips up at him again and again. His kisses grew more passionate, her response as well.

Without her realizing it, he worked at the laces holding her panties together and took them off. Faith's hands touched his arousal and he bit his bottom lip, striving to keep control of himself.

His hand gently traced circles under her navel. Focusing, he sent sparks out to make her squirm with delight. He paused and kissed her again, his hand slowly traveling below her navel, down to the patch of curly dark hair. He stopped kissing her and looked at her. She was looking at him through half-closed eyelids, her hair tousled over the pillow, her cheeks aflame, her lips swollen and red. He brought his lips down again and kissed her. He whispered that he loved her over and over as his hand now traveled expertly through her dark curls, parting them to find her clit.

Instinctively she opened her legs to him, and he suppressed a smile, focusing on how to bring her more pleasure. It was all about her. Her lips, her mouth, her luscious body, her clit. He found that she was already dripping wet and this pleased him. His finger traced circles around her nub, and he flicked it. She gave out a cry and he silenced her with a kiss again.

"I love you, Faith. Maker! I love you so much!" He gasped into her ear, and she gave out a cry as his fingers slipped from her nub and one of his fingers entered her wet core. She thrust her hips up to him as a reply and he groaned, trying to hang on to what little control he had left. Deftly he kept his thumb massaging her nub as his finger moved in and out of her, curling up to find the ridged spot inside that he knew would drive her crazy with need. He slowly added a second finger and Faith squirmed and again thrust her hips. He withdrew his hand and she protested. "No, why -" but his kiss silenced her. He moved down and started to kiss her body, while his hands massaged her breasts. Once his head reached her dark curls, his mouth and tongue found her nub and he started to lick and suck it.

She went wild with pleasure and began to scream his name. His hands continued to massage her breasts and his tongue found the entrance to her core. He licked her and thrust his tongue in. To his surprise, she convulsed and climaxed, and he quickly lapped up her juices. Her taste excited him even more than he thought possible.

He took off his smalls, his penis springing forward, and she stared at it, breathing heavily. "So beautiful," she murmured, as she wrapped her hand around it, causing him to squirm with delight. Even though she was inexperienced, the thought of his penis being the first penis she had ever touched aroused him more and soon he was kissing her all over, his hands sending sparks over her body lightly, as she bucked her hips at him.

He did not try to silence her anymore. He was past all that. He forgot about making too much noise, he forgot about Mistress Hawke, he forgot where they were. The only thing that he saw was Faith, the only thing that existed for him was her. Her body; her legs, her breasts, her face, her eyes, her lips... He was drowning in a sea of pleasure and love and he clung to her and gave her his all.

He was kissing her again, and slowly parted her legs even further. Leaning on his elbows, he positioned himself over her, and brought his penis to the entrance of her core. He was breathing heavily but he still managed to ask her again if she was sure. She nodded, biting her lower lip. Then, he asked her if she was ready.

Faith could not find her voice, even if she tried. She nodded and he pressed his throbbing erection at the entrance of her core and pushed slowly.

Faith started to whine.

"Does it hurt? Please, love, tell me and I'll stop," Anders whispered, breathing heavily. He kissed her lips and waited patiently.

She shook her head. And he pushed again. The tip of his penis eased a little more into the entrance and he stopped. Breathing heavily, he struggled to control himself and waited patiently until she adjusted. His penis was thick and he did not want to cause her pain or discomfort.

Instead of speaking, she thrust her hips up, which surprised him, so he pushed into her a little deeper. She moaned and began to move her head from one side to the other, biting her lower lip, her hands were on his back and her short nails dug into his skin. He pushed again. He was starting to feel her tightness around him. This was sending waves of pleasure throughout his body and he had to refrain from tearing into her. He gave another short push and felt her maidenhead tear against his penis and he stopped as she cried out.

"I'm sorry, my love. I'm so, so sorry," he began but he was interrupted by Faith begging him to continue. He complied and slowly inched forward again. Sweat was pouring down his face and dripping onto her face. He bent down to kiss her as he pushed into her again and waited for her to adjust. Finally he pushed all the way and stopped, feeling her tight walls around him. Her hands found his buttocks and she dug her nails into his cheeks, her legs lifted and he guided them around his waist and still he waited. She was so hot and wet and tight round him, that it took all of the control he had been taught as a mage to wait for her.

She thrust her hips up and the walls surrounding his erection tightened. This was what he had been waiting for. He started to move. Very slowly he brought his penis out until only the tip remained inside, then pushed it in again slowly. She cried out his name and he continued. In and out. Slowly and carefully. In and out. Her hips bucked and she started to move with him. Awkwardly at first, but then she picked up the rhythm. He moaned and groaned at this. It was perfect. They were moving in unison, perfectly together. He picked up speed and she followed, thrusting eagerly. He felt his pleasure increasing and stopped for a bit, kissing her passionately - tasting her salty, sweet sweat and his mingled together. He picked up speed again, thrusting in and out, with her following. Leaning over one elbow, he brought a hand between them and found her nub. He focused and sent low sparks forth and she started to scream again and climaxed shortly afterwards. He continued to tease and excite her, stopping every now and then to prolong his pleasure. He would not come yet. He wanted to wait for her to come again. He brought his mouth down and sucked her earlobe, whispered that he loved her, and slowly thrust into her gently. She moaned and cried out his name.

Soon, they picked up speed again, and he brought his hand back up to her breast this time and teased her there. She was tensing - he knew she would climax again soon, so he began to speed up, his pleasure mounting, until he felt himself on the brink. She convulsed suddenly and her walls tightened around him, so he gave a deep thrust inside her and came, his seed filling her with every deep thrust he took, his penis throbbing as he buried it deeper inside. She screamed out his name, still convulsing, her walls tighter than ever.

"Sweet Andraste!" He cried out as he came. "I. Love. You. So. Much!"

They lay there, still joined together. The only sounds in the room were their heavy breathing and the cackling flames in the fireplace. He kissed her gently, and rolled off, slowly withdrawing and she gave a little groan as he did. He smiled and took her in his arms, rocking her gently, kissing the crown of her head.

"That was amazing," she whispered. "I never thought that sex could be so - so," she groped for the right word.

"So?" He asked, smiling.

"So wonderful! So perfect!" She stopped and propped herself on one elbow as she looked deeply into his eyes. "Can we do it again?" She asked eagerly, her eyes twinkling.

Anders burst out laughing and put his arms around her, bringing her head down to his chest.

"We will. But let me catch my breath first," he said. "I don't think we'll be sleeping at all tonight," he added with a chuckle.

She nestled onto his chest, her hand tracing the thin hair there playfully. "Oh, I know that we have to stop to let you recuperate. I'm not totally ignorant."

Anders laughed again. "You aren't, huh? Well, let me tell you that I recuperate far faster than any normal man. I'm a warden."

"I thought you said you weren't a warden anymore," she teased. "And what does that have to do with this?"

"Alas, I will always be a warden, even if I am no longer with them or part of the order. It's in my blood, you see." He pursed his lips, deep in thought. Then he decided to tell her anyway. He would try not to keep any secrets from her. She was his and he was hers. It was as simple as that. "We go through our Joining and drink some of the darkspawn blood. This is how we become wardens."

"Eww," Faith said. Anders chuckled at this and kissed the crown of her head again.

"This enables us to sense the darkspawn and gives us more strength and more stamina. For fighting them and for other more...pleasurable matters..."

She lifted her head to look at him and saw his grin and the twinkle in his eyes and giggled. "I see," she said, trying to stop herself from laughing but she couldn't. "So..."

"So?" He asked grinning.

"So do you think you've recuperated enough? Or do we have to wait some more?" She purred, and he half-sat up in bed, and pulled her to him, kissing her passionately on her lips.

"Why don't you check and see?" He asked in between kisses, as he led her hand downwards and put it on his hardening penis.

...

They fell asleep shortly before dawn, spent from the strenuous activities that they had engaged in all night. Faith was as sore and raw as Anders was. They were content, however, and blissfully happy.

They woke up when the sun was high in the sky and Anders started, sitting up in bed. Faith opened her eyes, and closed them as she curled on her right side and tried to fall asleep again.

"My love! It's past noon already! What if your mother knocks on the door, and -" Anders's voice was full of anguish.

Faith stopped him with a kiss. "Relax, love. Mother didn't sleep here last night. She spent the night at a friend's house, and was going to let me know if she would stay there tonight as well, but it looked like she would."

"You probably could have mentioned that last night, you know," Anders replied, looking a bit annoyed.

She giggled. "Well, I'll put on a robe and see what news Bodahn has for me. Don't you dare go anywhere, and don't get dressed!"

"Yes, Ser!" Anders replied. He watched her get up and stretch, his eyes drinking in her curves and firm buttocks as she glided around the room to her armoire. She put on a robe and tied it securely at her waist and he sighed sadly.

She gave a laugh and leaned over to kiss him. He caught her in his arms, but she pushed away.

"I'll be right back with news and possibly some breakfast," she said, giggling when she heard his stomach growl.

"That's another warden thing. We have big appetites," Anders informed her in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh, I know you do," she giggled, and left the room, closing the door softly behind her.

Anders lay back, stretching on the bed. He had never before felt this happy in his entire life. His eyes traveled around the room and he noticed a door on the far right. Curious by nature, he got up and padded to it then flung it wide open.

He saw it was a bathroom, with a huge marble tub in the center. He smiled as he turned the handle and the water started to fill the tub.

...

Faith returned a while later, and she noticed the bed was empty. Her eyes fell on the door to her bathroom and she smiled as she walked to the door and opened it. Anders lay in the huge marble tub, relaxing in the water, his eyes closed.

"I see you found the tub," she said softly, and he opened his eyes, regarding her warmly.

"I did. Care to join me?" He teased, splashing water in her direction.

"Not yet. Mother sent a missive. She's spending the day and night with her friend. Bodahn is preparing a meal for us. It will still be a while for it to be ready."

Anders smiled crookedly and held out his arms. "Then what are you waiting for?"

She slipped out of the robe and cautiously stuck a foot in the water, expecting it to be cold, but it wasn't. It was deliciously warm. Her awestruck eyes found his and he laughed.

"I'm a mage, love. I know how to heat things up. Water, in this case," he smirked.

She got into the tub and he pulled her close, kissing her passionately. Her hand fell on his erection and he moaned into her lips.

"Mmm," she said. "Now why don't you teach me how to do things to you?" She asked as her hand slowly encircled his penis completely. She began to move her hand up and down slowly.

"Let's see. Lesson one..." Anders paused, and she stopped, looking into his eyes. "...don't stop!" He exclaimed, laughing softly. "Lesson two...coming right up!"

And Faith chuckled as she leaned forward to kiss him.

...

They made love in the water, then washed, and dried themselves afterwards. Anders's stomach was now growling terribly. There was a knock on the door and he quickly sprang onto the bed, covering himself with the sheet. Faith put on a robe and opened the door. Bodahn and Sandal walked in each carrying a tray which they set on the table next to the bed. Bodahn was all smiles, and greeted Anders warmly, while Sandal gave him a toothy grin.

They left and Anders threw the sheet off and sat on the edge of the bed, as Faith handed him a plate of eggs, bacon, steak and mashed potatoes. He dug into his food with gusto, while Faith took a silver pitcher full of cold water and served two big glasses. Then she set the glasses on the table next to the bed. They ate in silence, stopping every now and then to smile at each other and continue with their meal.

Anders was the first to finish. He wiped his mouth with a napkin and drank some water. "So, why is your mother staying at her friend's house?" He inquired.

"She told me her friend's sister was missing. She's been missing for two days as a matter of fact. Three if you count today," Faith said in between bites.

"Hmmm...that's strange. I wonder if it has anything to do with the women who went missing nearly three years ago? Remember Emeric? And what we found at the foundry in Lowtown?"

"I was just thinking about that. I wonder if it's all connected?" Faith said, suddenly pensive. "At any rate, I totally forgot to tell you. As you know, I went to the Gallows yesterday. Emeric is convinced that he knows who the killer is. He says it's a man called Gascard Dupris, who lives here in Hightown. He asked me to break into his house at night and find evidence to prove him innocent or guilty."

"I hope you are bringing someone else along too? There may be something nasty there, if he really is the killer. Remember last time at the foundry? We fought abominations, shades and a desire demon," Anders said.

"I was thinking of asking Varric and Isabela to come along. Want to take a walk to the Hanged Man?"

"Sure, why not?" Anders said springing up from the bed.

Faith laughed. "I really should learn not to ask you to do anything. Not now anyway..."

"What do you mean?" He asked as he put on his smalls.

"Well, now that I know you have the stamina, I don't think you'll ever say no again...to _anything_!"

He laughed and took her in his arms, kissing her. "I don't think my stamina has anything to do with it. Who can resist your charms, Faith Hawke?"

...

**_A/N: Just to thank Megglesnake and HyperPenguin for their awesome reviews! You both made my day! :D_**


	15. The Mage and The Rogue

_**Another person from Anders's past shows up, lol. And, he just so happens to be an NPC in the game, too! What fun! Yep...another twist... *snicker***_

_**I want to thank everyone who reviewed and those who have put this story in their favorites, as well as those who have included it in their alerts. You guys rock! :D **_

_**Warning, some sexy smut at the end of the chapter! Mature content! (You have been warned!) **_

_**Also, since I'm getting the new DLC today, I probably won't be updating this as fast as I would normally update! **_

_**Bioware owns...**_

Chapter 15 - The Mage and The Rogue

They arrived at The Hanged Man and made their way through the tables. Even though it was early in the afternoon, several of the people there were already very drunk. Faith squirmed through a group of rowdy drinkers, who were singing noisily, while Anders walked close behind her, keeping a reassuring hand on her back.

They spotted Isabela at the counter, asking for some whisky, as usual. Faith shook her head and walked to where she was. "Why do I get the impression that you thrive on the stuff they serve here?" She teased.

Isabela swung around, a smile on her lips as her eyes fell on Hawke, then Anders, who now had his arm around Faith's waist. "Well, look who's here! Anything new happening around town?"

Faith was about to reply when a burly man suddenly elbowed his way to where they were standing and placed his hand on Hawke's arm. Anders bristled, his eyes narrowing.

"Look 't this precious wench, boys!" The man called to his two companions who quickly came to stand behind him. "'ave you ever seen anything more beautiful?" The man faced Hawke, who took a step back at the same time that Anders took a step forward, trying to put himself between the man and her.

"I suggest you look for someone else, Ser," Anders said in a strangled voice, his rage boiling under the surface while Justice's voice begged him to let him control the situation, "The lady is with me."

The burly man turned his head slightly to inspect Anders interestedly. He saw a tall, rather scrawny-looking man threatening him. He burst out laughing. Turning, he addressed his friends. "Hey, boys! Get a load of 'skinny' 'ere, trying to scare me!" The men guffawed and started to jeer.

A soft blue glow began to emanate from Anders, and Faith gasped, putting her hand on his arm. "Love, not here. Please. Try to control yourself..." she whispered, and the blue glow disappeared as his eyes caught hers briefly.

At that moment, the man leaned forward and shot out a muscled hand, which fell on one of Faith's breasts, massaging it roughly. Anders gave a growl and lashed out, the blue glow returning in full force. The man was frozen instantly on the spot. His companions drew their swords at the same time. Faith and Isabela both whipped out their daggers, but Anders pushed them aside and cast a paralysis spell on the two men.

The whole tavern was unnaturally silent, as everyone gazed on interestedly. Faith went right up to Anders and tugged at his arm. "Please, listen to me, my love..." she begged.

The blue glow disappeared, and the man who had offended Faith slowly began to unfreeze, while his friends groaned as the paralysis spell wore off. Anders stood there, breathing heavily, regarding the men with narrowed eyes.

A templar made his way to where they were standing. "Apostate! I place you under arrest! Hand over your staff, and come with me to the Gallows!"

...

The Gallows Courtyard was extremely hot, the afternoon sun beating mercilessly on the stone floor. In the distance, the waves crashed along its pier, and seagulls cried as they flew overhead.

The group made its way across the courtyard, silent and somber. Knight Captain Cullen intercepted them and asked the templar what was happening.

"Knight Captain, Ser!" The templar saluted, and went rigid, standing to attention. Cullen barked an order for him to be at ease, and the templar obeyed.

Cullen recognized Hawke from some time ago when she had helped him and the templar order with a matter regarding missing templars and greeted her. "Serah Hawke! What are you doing here?"

The templar then spoke. "Ser, this apostate was caught in The Hanged Man casting spells on three innocent men!" And the templar pointed directly at a man dressed in a coat with feathered pauldrons, who was standing behind Faith Hawke.

It was then that Cullen noticed Anders and his eyes widened with shock. Anders's eyes met his and he started visibly.

"Anders!" Cullen exclaimed.

It was the first time Anders and Cullen had met in Kirkwall, and while this could have seemed strange, given the fact that Anders had been living in Kirkwall for over four years now, the explanation for it was simple. Anders had never accompanied Faith whenever she visited the Gallows Courtyard. Faith had also refrained from taking Anders or her sister when she got the job to help the templars trace the whereabouts of Keran, the missing templar. Therefore, Anders and Cullen had not set eyes on each other until now.

"Looks like we're destined to meet, Cullen," Anders smirked, "guess some of us can't escape even though we hope to."

Cullen said nothing to Anders, turning to the templar who had brought him in instead. "You will return to your post immediately. I will handle this," he said stiffly.

"But Ser, I have not yet described the crimes committed by this -"

Cullen's voice interrupted him sharply. "I said, I'll handle this. You will return to your post, and speak to no one, understand?"

"Yes, Ser!" The Templar said in a loud voice, and saluted rigidly. He then handed Cullen Anders's staff and left the courtyard.

"I see you haven't lost your touch," Anders smirked. "Charming as always."

Cullen turned to Anders, and Faith stepped forward ready to defend him, but before she could utter a word, she saw the Knight Captain smile and hold his hand out to Anders. "You do have a way of getting yourself in trouble, and it seems I have to step in to rescue your sorry arse all the time!"

Anders burst out laughing and took the hand that was offered to him shaking it vigorously before being swept up into a bear hug. Once they had finished greeting each other, Cullen handed Anders back his staff, which he strapped on his back immediately.

Varric, Isabela and Faith stared at all this, their mouths hanging open. For once, Varric failed to have the right words to comment anything and Isabela was probably too busy imagining what she would do if she had the handsome young Knight Captain all to herself.

"I take it you two know each other?" Faith interrupted with her usual wit.

"We do, love. Cullen was in the Circle back in Ferelden," Anders replied.

"Love?" Cullen echoed. He then shook his head. "Anders in love? I thought I'd never live to see this, but apparently I was wrong... What are you doing using magic? When are you going to grow up, my friend?" He sighed.

"It wasn't his fault, Cullen. He was trying to protect me. This man, he - he, offended me, insinuating himself and -" Faith started babbling, red in the face, but Isabela interrupted her.

"He grabbed her tit! Roughly too!" She said, her face a mask of disgust.

"I missed all the fun," Varric said sadly. "Arrived when it was all over and the tin man was taking Anders away. I couldn't let them leave without me, so I joined the group."

"I couldn't let him manhandle her!" Anders added, his cheeks coloring slightly, his eyes angry.

Cullen shook his head with a smile on his face.

"Did it ever occur to you that you can't be flinging spells out in public? The Knight Commander has templars everywhere, Anders. I know you mean well, but you can't use your magic freely. If you want to live, that is," Cullen said seriously. "Things aren't exactly going well for mages in the circle here."

"Looks like you favor the mages," Faith said. "I knew you were smarter than you looked."

Isabela snickered at this, but Cullen shook his head vigorously. "It's not that I favor the mages. I did use to think mages were wrongly treated. But when I suffered the atrocities that Uldred unleashed in Kinloch Hold, I realized that the power of the mages that fall to the lure of demons is great indeed, and must be stopped at all costs."

"And the Templar speaks," Anders said quietly.

"We're not going to argue now," Faith spoke up, her hand on Anders's arm. "I'm hoping he won't be put under arrest?"

"He did use magic in a public area, Serah Hawke," Cullen said sadly.

"I was defending her honor," Anders flashed angrily. "I may be a mage, but I am also a man. I won't stand by while thugs manhandle her!"

"You may have to, if you want to continue to live free from the circle, Anders. I will not help you again," Cullen said, shaking his head. "I am Knight Captain now, and I serve -"

"A tyrant," Anders spat out.

"There you go, getting yourself in trouble again, Blondie!" Varric groaned. "It's not enough that you work in Darktown, healing everyone that arrives at your doorstep? No. You have to go out of your way and make it known to the world that you are an apostate too..."

"What did you say?" Cullen asked, turning to Varric and taking a few steps towards him.

"What did I say? Shit, I don't know...um...apostate getting into trouble? Hey! Am _**I **_in trouble now?"

"No, no. Before that. You said he works in Darktown?" Cullen turned to Anders. "Is this true? Are you the healer who has a free clinic in Darktown?"

"Wow, am I _that_ famous?" Anders quipped. "I'm beside myself with joy."

"Enough, Anders," Cullen said, his cheeks turning red. "Our orders are clear. You are not to be arrested or hurt in any way. Now, kindly leave and refrain from performing magic on innocent, unsuspecting people in public places in the future."

"Innocent, my ass," Isabela muttered under her breath.

"What is all this 'don't arrest the healer' thing? Who ordered you not to, Cullen?" Anders inquired.

"The Knight Commander ordered it. She received a visit from Warden Commander Stroud, nearly four years ago. The Warden Commander handed her a note. I was in the room. I don't know what the note said, but Stroud spoke up and said that it would be convenient for her to keep the peace."

"Stroud? Vouching for me?" Anders exclaimed in disbelief.

"Don't push it, Blondie. You heard what he said. We'd best get out of here while we can," Varric growled, elbowing Anders.

"Yes, I think you're right, Varric. We should be leaving..." Faith said as she squeezed Anders's arm. He turned to look at her, and instantly his whole demeanor changed. "...**now**," she added firmly, through clenched teeth, her eyes flashing dangerously.

Nobody said anything and they nodded a goodbye to Cullen, who turned back to his post.

Then Faith turned to leave, the rest following her quietly out of the Gallows.

...

Faith was so angry, she took long steps all the way back to Hightown. The rest kept up with her as best as they could - Varric was the one that was having the worst time in doing so. His little legs were going as fast as he could, and sweat was pouring down his forehead, onto the sides of his face.

When they arrived at the estate, Anders caught up with her, grabbing her arm. While Isabela stopped to look at the scene interestedly, Varric flopped onto the nearest chair, begging Bodahn for a large glass of water.

"I'm sorry, love. I couldn't bear to see him touch you like that," Anders said miserably, giving her a puppy dog-eyed look. "Please try to see that I meant well."

"Meant well? Getting yourself nearly arrested? For the love of the Maker, Anders! Justice took over you!" Faith yelled, her voice causing the ornaments on the mantel to rattle softly.

"Not completely, love. If he had, I'm certain those men wouldn't be alive," Anders said quietly.

"And you think that justifies it? What would happen if you were arrested? Huh? Have you ever thought of it? You'd be fucking executed! Do you hear me? Ex- e- cu- ted! And where would that leave me? Huh? Where?" Her screams were getting louder. Angry tears were now streaming down her cheeks.

Bodahn came into the room, carrying a pitcher of cold water and glasses for everyone. Varric eagerly poured himself a glass and drank, while Isabela asked for something stronger and sat down next to Varric. Bodahn nodded smiling, and left, completely ignoring Faith's screams. "He's nice," Isabela whispered to Varric. "Never butting into anyone's business."

"And loyal too," Varric added.

"Do you mind?" Faith turned to them, sobbing now. "I'm trying to make a point here!"

"Sorry," Isabela mumbled.

"I couldn't let him touch you that way, love. I just couldn't bear it. Nobody is going to touch _**my **_woman if I can help it," Anders said darkly.

Isabela perked up, a smile slowly appearing on her face. Varric was already grinning.

"Don't you get it? If you are executed, it means I lose you too! Just like I lost Bethany! I don't want to lose any more people I love! I don't want to!" Faith sobbed.

Anders pulled her into his arms and held her tightly. "I'm sorry, my love. I truly am. I promise I'll try to control myself from now on," he crooned as he rocked her gently.

She eventually calmed down, her sobs slowly subsiding, while Isabela sipped on a glass of wine, and Varric poured himself another glass of water.

Anders slipped a thumb and forefinger under Faith's chin and brought it up so he could look into her eyes. Then he kissed her gently.

"Right, now that _that's_ settled... Why did you come looking for me at The Hanged Man, Hawke?" Isabela asked.

...

Faith swore under her breath as she worked on the lock again. Isabela had tried it moments before and had had no luck at it. The rest of the group huddled closely together behind her as she pressed on. Eventually, she heard the telltale 'click' that told her that she had succeeded and she gave an audible sigh of relief.

They all went inside and looked around the dark foyer in silence. As soon as Faith stepped further into the room, shades materialized around them and they were attacked.

Both Faith and Isabela drew their daggers out at the same time, while Varric shot a rain of arrows on the creatures, slowing them down. Anders summoned a tempest spell that was fatal to the creatures, while Faith and Isabela jumped from shade to shade, dealing the killing blows. A rage demon attacked next, but Faith was ready for it and performed a backstab maneuver.

After the battle, they walked up the stairs to one of the main rooms on the first floor and were again attacked by shades, but dispatched them quickly.

"Anyone else getting the feeling that Emeric might be right about this Gascard fellow? No? Just me?" Varric commented as they walked along, ready for anything else that might jump out on them.

Faith found a staircase leading up to the third floor, and she climbed the stairs quietly, the rest following suit. On the landing was a table with some chairs and on the table there was a note. Faith read it out loud. Apparently it was from the Knight Commander who was apologizing for the guard barging in on Gascard's home and searching it from top to bottom.

"Never thought I'd see an apology written by the iron lady," Varric mused as Faith spotted a door to the right and opened it.

They walked into a room that had a big chest against the wall. Faith opened it and found it full of women's clothes.

"That's strange. Why is he keeping these clothes? Could they belong to the missing women?" Anders commented.

"I once knew a fellow who had loads of fun dressing up in women's clothes," Isabela chuckled.

Faith walked out of the room and down the corridor to another door. Upon opening it, they found a man, presumably Gascard, towering over a middle-aged lady who was on the floor and calling out for help. Faith bristled at the scene and advanced into the room, followed closely behind by her team.

The man whirled around to face them as he said, "You're not - shit...you're not him! I know what this looks like, but I wasn't trying to hurt her!"

The lady, terrified out of her wits, called out for help again. "Please, help me! He hurt me!"

"So, the wide-eyed hysteria is just for show then?" Faith snarled at the man.

"Please, let me try to explain. I was trying to help her, not hurt her!" The man begged.

"All right," Faith said. "Let's see if you can talk your way out of this."

"Twenty silver he says, 'It wasn't me, it was the one-armed man!'" Varric said.

"Several years ago, my sister was murdered, by the man you are now looking for. He is a murderer who sends his victims white lilies before he takes them. I took Alessa, because I wanted to lure him here, so that I could kill him," the man said frantically.

"He's lying! He hurt me!" Alessa cried out.

"I've explained before. I only took your blood because if he took you it would be the only way to find you," the man told Alessa.

"Let go of me, you monster!" Alessa yelled, and crawled away from Gascard.

Faith was already angry at what she had witnessed, and the fact that this lady was the missing sister of her mother's friend made her even angrier. The man's story didn't quite add up, and he was clearly a blood mage.

"Sorry," she sneered at the man, but I don't believe you. Time to die," she said, immediately performing a vendetta maneuver, fatally wounding Gascard, who cried out. He summoned shades and abominations, and all hell broke loose.

The fight was going relatively well, in spite of the number of creatures the man had summoned. He lay in a pool of blood - barely alive, clearly using his blood to continue summoning the creatures, while the team fought the creatures off, killing as many as possible. They were tiring, and the shades and abominations kept coming in waves. Faith realized that the only way to win this one was to kill Gascard as quickly as possible, so she quickly jumped on him and slashed his throat. At that moment, one of the abominations dug its claws into her back and she screamed, collapsing to the floor.

"No! Don't be dead, _please_!" Anders cried out, as he obliterated the abomination and rushed to her side, his hands glowing softly, ready to heal. The rest of the creatures were quickly dispatched by Isabela and Varric and they ran over to where Anders knelt beside Hawke. Alessa was still on the floor, cowering in the corner, weeping softly.

Faith looked terribly pale as Anders worked his magic on her frantically. He turned her over gently and smoothed away a lock of hair over her eyes. A few moments later, she opened her eyes, and looked into his worried ones and smiled. He gave a strangled cry and gathered her into his arms tenderly.

"You have to stop doing that, Hawke, or Blondie is going to have a heart attack one of these days," Varric joked.

Faith laughed as Anders helped her get on her feet. Then she went over to Alessa and asked Anders to check her out for any wounds. Anders ended up casting a rejuvenating spell on her, for he found her in perfectly good health, but mentally and physically drained.

"Alessa, your sister has been so worried about you. I'm glad you are all right. My mother is at your home right now. Let's go," Faith said kindly as she led her out of the room.

...

Almira and Alessa were so grateful to Faith, they could not stop thanking her. Leandra stood by gazing at her daughter proudly. Then Almira turned to beg Leandra to stay the night. It was very late, and Leandra and she had been sleeping when they had arrived.

"I'll be back tomorrow morning, dear," Leandra said as she hugged Faith. "Thank you so much, again. I'm proud of you."

They said goodbye to Leandra, Almira and Alessa and walked back to the estate, stopping at the front door.

"Good night, Varric...Isabela. Thanks so much for your help," Faith said, keeping her eyes on Anders, who was looking at her, his eyes dark.

"You get some rest," Varric said. Then he turned to Anders," Coming, Blondie?" He asked, a grin on his face.

"Um, no, Varric. I'm staying actually." Anders replied, his eyes now devouring Faith.

"I knew it!" Varric exclaimed.

"About time!" Isabela chuckled.

They left and Anders and Faith went into the estate, locking the front door behind them.

"What am I going to do with you?" Anders whispered, as he trailed kisses down Faith's neck, causing her to shiver in anticipation. "You are a reckless rogue if I ever saw one..."

Faith moaned and Anders spun her around, kissing her passionately. She broke away from the kiss first, her eyes twinkling madly.

"For starters, I'd say a hot bath is in order," she said, sprinting away from him playfully, running up the stairs laughing. Anders followed her and caught up with her in her room. They practically tore their clothes off each other.

"I'll lock the door," Anders managed to say in between kisses.

Faith did not reply and waited for him to lock the door, while she trailed kisses along his back and shoulder blades. Anders turned around and tried to pull her to him, but she escaped his grasp and ran to the bathroom, laughing.

He leaned against the doorframe, watching her bend over to turn the handle, his eyes drinking in her curves greedily. When she turned, she went on her knees before him, taking his thick penis in her hand.

"Now, why don't you teach me how to use my mouth while we wait for the tub to fill up, my love?" She teased as she stroked him, moving her hand up and down.

"Yes, " was all Anders managed to say, as he guided her head towards his erection, panting and gasping when she started to kiss and lick the tip. Then she opened her mouth and took it in, sucking while his hands buried themselves into her hair. "Lick around it, love," he murmured. "...yes...now, lick from the tip to the..." Anders stopped talking, for Faith already was licking up and down his entire length. She took the tip in her mouth again and sucked, then he pushed her head slightly and she took him further in.

She continued to suck and lick, until she started to move and started a rhythm. Anders squirmed; he could feel his release building up slowly. Deliciously. He grabbed her head and asked her to take her hand and stroke him while she sucked. She did that, then let herself go and got creative. She took him in her mouth and swirled her tongue, paying attention to the ridge especially on the underside. Then she took turns, stroking with her hands, and sucking and licking at the same time. She took a look at Anders, and saw that his eyes were closed and his cheeks flushed. She quickened her pace, and took him further in, keeping a steady rhythm. Anders moaned and squirmed, panting and gasping. He sucked the air with his mouth making a hissing sound, and she felt his penis twitch in her mouth. Her strokes were quicker, and he started to convulse, as his seed shot into her mouth, warm and deliciously sweet and salty at the same time. She swallowed it all up and looked up at him, the most innocent expression on her face.

Anders sighed and opened his eyes. "I can hardly believe you've never done this love," he said, "That was amazing." His eyes gazed down on her adoringly and he grabbed her arms gently and pulled her up, kissing her. Then he reached for the handle of the tub and turned it off. Focusing, he held his hands out, heating the water.

"Bathe first, then play?" She teased, a mischievous grin on her face as her eyes darted to Anders's penis. He was still hard, and she giggled.

"Oh, trust me. We're going to have a lot of fun tonight, you'll see," Anders replied grinning, leading her to the tub.

...


	16. Dissent

_**First off, thank you LadyCallia, Megglesnake and HyperPenguin for your awesome reviews! Made my day! A huge thanks to all of you who have added this fic to their favorites as well! :D **_

_**Ok, a dark moment in the game…so the beginning of this chapter was written as lightly as possible – and it turned out silly! :D **_

_**Bioware owns ….blah, blah, blah…sigh…**_

Chapter 16 - Dissent

An annoying knocking sound was grinding into her ears (and trying to drag her, all unwilling, out of her blissful sleep). Faith groaned and put the pillow over her head, trying to silence the noise, but she found out that she couldn't. The noise increased and was accompanied by a female voice that shouted. "Faith! Are you all right darling?"

Faith threw the pillow to the side, and it landed squarely on Anders's face, who had been sleeping soundly. He made a grunting noise, and took the pillow off his face, regarding Faith with a sleepy, offended look.

"It's mother!" She whispered, and Anders blinked twice before the message hit home. He sped out of bed and started to dress so fast, Faith had to bite her bottom lip to keep from bursting out laughing.

"Faith! Are you all right? I'm getting worried here!" Her mother called out again.

"Coming mother, hold on a few minutes!" Faith yelled back, and frantically looked around for a robe to put on. Anders was kneeling by the bed, looking for his breeches, and dressed in his white tunic and smalls. During the night's endeavors, he had lost his tie, and his hair was now loose, making it difficult for him to see properly, as it kept getting in the way.

Faith scrambled out of bed and spotted the robe lying on the floor next to Anders's breeches. She rushed to it, at the same time Anders pounced on his breeches, and they ended up bumping into each other.

"Ow!" Anders's complained, rubbing his forehead, while Faith saw stars for a few seconds. "Oh, did I hurt you?" He whispered anxiously, his right hand already glowing as he touched her head softly.

"Never mind that, hurry up and get dressed," Faith hissed.

She put on the robe, and opened the door a crack. Leandra stood there, with a puzzled expression on her face. At that moment, Anders, who had been putting on his breeches, stumbled and hit his left foot on the table. The noise made Leandra start.

"Is there someone in the room with you?" Leandra asked, trying to get a glimpse into the room. Faith quickly held out her hand, and grabbed her mother, pushing her softly back, while leaning on the door so that it would open no further. Leandra blinked at her daughter and her mouth parted in surprise.

"Mother, I need to get dressed," Faith said. "Could you please...um, you know, give me some privacy?"

"There _is_ someone in the room then?" Leandra said. "Is it Anders? I do hope it's Anders!"

Anders, who was now struggling with his coat, froze at Leandra's words, and took two steps back, right into the bathroom door, which was slightly ajar. He slipped on a puddle of water on the floor and fell into the marble tub.

Faith smiled at her mother, as his groans reached their ears. "Really mother. Stop treating me like a child. I'm a twenty-five-year old woman."

"Of course. I'll be in the dining room, dear," Leandra managed to say before Faith closed the door.

She rushed to the bathroom, and her eyes fell on Anders, who was lying in the tub, looking nettled. Faith burst out laughing.

"Sure, laugh all you want. I'm bruised here! Even my bruises have bruises!" He whined.

"Look at the bright side," Faith chuckled.

"There's a bright side?" Anders glared.

"Sure! The tub was empty..." and she turned to pick up her clothes so she could finally get dressed.

...

Anders made his way down the stairs that led to the second staircase on his way to the clinic. The whole encounter with Leandra had ended up being pleasant. Extremely pleasant, as a matter of fact. He kept a smile on his face as he walked up the stairs, remembering how Leandra had clapped her hands when she had seen him walk into the dining room. They had eaten a meal together, laughing and joking at the table. For the first time he felt that he had a family, which filled him with a happiness he had never felt before.

A group of people stood outside the clinic, all waiting to be seen and healed by him. He gave them a smile and unlocked the doors, flinging them wide open, and the people stepped into the clinic. He quickly healed those that needed it the most, and walked over to those with minor wounds or illnesses to help them out.

By the time he finished with the group, new patients arrived and Anders kept working steadily until it grew dark. Then he went outside, lit the lamps beside the doors, and went back in, sitting on his rickety chair, quill in hand, as he inspected the ingredients in his cabinet and made a list of the ones he needed to replenish his potions.

Footsteps caused him to turn around quickly, interrupting his work; his face breaking into a smile when he saw that the visitor was Evelina.

"Hello, Anders. I stopped by earlier but you were busy, so I decided not to bother you," she said, a smile on her face.

He bade her to sit down and carried his rickety chair over to where she sat, then sat down with a smile still on his face.

"How are you doing, Evelina? Are your children all right? Do you need anything?"

"I'm fine, thank you. I wish I had more coin these days, but at least I have been getting some coin from helping out in the Mage Underground, so I can't complain. I wanted to fill you in on the latest. I have good and bad news, I'm afraid."

Anders frowned at the mention of bad news. "Well, give me the good news first," he mumbled.

"Remember the two children you rescued from the Gallows? I've managed to find them both a home, and they are doing fine."

"That's good," Anders said, smiling for a few moments. He still recalled how the older boy had looked up to him. It made him happy to think that they were safe. Then his whole face darkened. "And the bad news?"

"A dozen circle mages were made Tranquil yesterday, Anders. A dozen in one day! Alrik is getting bolder. He did send out his petition to the Divine. I'm afraid that she may have accepted his 'Tranquil Solution', but we have no way of knowing this. We need to get to the bottom of things and fast, before he succeeds in sundering the minds of all the mages in the Circle." Evelina's face was sad and her lips trembled slightly when she finished talking.

"I can try to gather evidence of his 'Tranquil Solution'. Perhaps if this evidence is shown to the Grand Cleric, she will intervene in favor of the mages," Anders said thoughtfully.

"I knew I could count on you, Anders!" Evelina exclaimed as she stood up. "I'll have to go now. The children are alone, as Walter has gone to the Docks to see if there are more refugee children that need a place to stay. You take care and I'll see you soon!"

They said goodbye to each other, and Anders sat down, his brow furrowed in thought. After a while he stood up, put his potions and ingredients away neatly and left the clinic, locking the doors behind him.

...

He was relieved when Bodahn opened the door for him, grinning and greeting him as he waved him into the manor. Leandra was nowhere to be seen, and Anders agreed to a late snack as he made his way to Faith's room.

She was sitting at the table when he entered, engrossed over a book. He smiled at her concentration and moved silently, bending down when he was behind her to kiss the top of her head.

Faith started and laughed as she stood up and walked into his arms. "I didn't hear you come inside, darling," she purred, as he stroked her back and massaged her head.

"What's so interesting?" Anders asked as he craned his neck to read the title of the book. "'Sexual Education'. Really, love? I'm more than willing to teach you and far more interesting than a book," he grinned.

She laughed and stood on her toes to kiss him as his hands caressed her buttocks. He bowed his head, stooping slightly so that he could trail kisses down her neck. His hands tugged at the robe she was wearing, and fumbled with the laces that held it together.

Their kisses grew in passion and Faith sighed into his mouth when he finally succeeded in opening the robe. She was wearing nothing underneath, and Anders felt his penis swell as his right hand found her breast. Her hands were now fumbling with his coat, so he helped her, while he continued to shower her with kisses. Soon he was standing in his smalls, while one of her hands found his erection and she stroked over the fabric gently.

He gasped and started to lead her to the bed, while his hands continued to roam over her.

"I missed you," he whispered, as she lay on the bed, and he got in beside her.

"You haven't been gone for long, love," she chided.

"I missed you all the same," he replied in a low voice, his mouth now descending to the valley between her breasts. He kissed and licked her, then reached one of her nipples and sucked.

There was a knock on the door, and Anders scrambled out of bed, with Faith following suit.

"Master Anders, I have a meal prepared for you, do I bring it here, or will you come down to the dining room?" Bodahn called out.

Anders quickly put on his tunic, and opened the door a crack. "I'll be right down, Bodahn," he said as he grinned at the dwarf, who smiled happily at him and left. He turned to Faith, who now had the robe back on and picked up his breeches from the floor.

"We'll continue this later, and _that_ is a promise," he whispered, catching her in his arms.

"I can't wait," she purred, as she surrendered her lips to him once more.

...

"Love, I have to talk to you about something," Anders said as he ate, and Faith nodded, encouraging him to go on. "I have to do something and I want to ask for your help, and tell you everything about it before I do."

"You can tell me anything, and you know I would help you, no matter what you ask," Faith said in one breath.

"I am so lucky that you are by my side," Anders said, as he took her hand and squeezed it gently. "I knew I could count on you."

"Finish eating first, talk after, all right?" She whispered.

Anders nodded and smiled then continued to eat, finishing a few moments later. He drank some water, and smiled contentedly. Bodahn materialized and walked up to the table. "That was fantastic, Bodahn. Thank you so much," Anders smiled.

"I'm so glad you liked it, Master Anders," Bodahn replied happily.

"No, not Master Anders, just Anders," he said.

"Yes, Master Anders," Bodahn replied as he took the dish and left, a big grin plastered all over his face.

Anders shook his head smiling and turned to Faith.

"Let's hear what you have to say then."

He looked around. "Er, maybe it's better if we go to your room. I must make sure we're alone."

Faith said nothing, but stood up, and he got up after her, then followed her out of the room and up the stairs to her room.

As soon as she locked the door, Anders started talking.

"Do you remember your cousin Rilka, love?" He asked, as they sat on the bed.

"What a question! We write each other on a regular basis. And I know that you helped her escape the circle. She told me all about it," Faith replied, slipping her hand into his.

"Ah, I can skip that part then," he chuckled. "Well, the thing is that I've been involved with the Mage Underground, helping mages escape the circle. I've received some bad news, however. A dozen mages have been made Tranquil yesterday. This is the work of a templar by the name of Ser Alrik. Nasty piece of work. I had a run-in with him myself. He's the one that did the ritual on Karl. His plan is to make all the mages Tranquil. All of them! I'm told he has sent a petition to the Divine herself in Val Royeaux."

"That's horrible! And who is _he_ to do this anyway? Doesn't Chantry law say that mages who have been through their Harrowing shouldn't be made Tranquil?" Faith said angrily.

"Exactly! He won't stop until he sunders the minds of all the mages in the Circle."

"How do we stop him?" Faith asked.

"I know a secret way into the Gallows. An underground tunnel, used by lyrium smugglers to smuggle lyrium to the templars. Come with me tomorrow night, please. Help me find evidence of Ser Alrik's 'Tranquil Solution.'"

"'Tranquil Solution?'" Faith echoed.

"It's what he calls it, love," Anders smiled.

"What run in did you have with him? What happened?" She asked curiously.

"I - I can't tell you, love. I'm sorry. I want to protect you. The less you know the better it is for you," Anders replied softly.

"What are you going to do with the evidence we find? Can you just walk up to the Chantry to hand it over to the Grand Cleric? You're a mage after all, and an apostate at that," Faith said, biting her lower lip.

Anders did not reply immediately. He was looking at her strangely.

"Oh! You want me to show that old biddy the evidence, don't you?" She suddenly realized.

"Could you?" Anders asked breathlessly. He looked like a small boy that was anxiously waiting to receive a precious gift or something. Faith burst out laughing then leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"I swore never to set foot in that place again, Anders. But for you, sure! I'll do it, my love," she whispered as she put a hand to his face and caressed it gently.

He took her hand, and turned it over, palm up, then brought down his lips to kiss it. For some reason his simple gesture moved her in a way she didn't think possible. "I love you, Anders," she said quietly.

"And you will never know how much I love you. More and more with each passing day." They embraced and Anders started kissing her. "Now," he murmured in between kisses, "I believe I made you a promise..."

...

The next day Anders woke up early. He turned to look at Faith, who was sleeping, her tousled hair spread over the pillow and smiled. Then he hurried out of bed, went to the bathroom, washed himself and got dressed. He looked for some paper and a quill, then wrote a note. When he was done, he carefully set the note on the pillow on the side of the bed he had just vacated and bent down to kiss her lightly on the cheek. Then he left.

He still had to rush down to the clinic, finish going through his ingredients, run back out and buy more ingredients, then return to finish making potions to replenish his stock. He would keep only one door to his clinic open upon his return, and hoped he wouldn't get so many patients today, for he wanted to finish quickly to prepare for their nighttime stroll through the underground tunnel.

He knew that Faith would probably end up looking for Varric and Isabela to accompany them on their venture, and smiled. He liked Varric and Isabela was...well; Isabela was Isabela and easy to get along with. More importantly, Faith genuinely liked her. They had become very good friends and fought together very well.

He quickly finished the list and made his way to Lowtown where he looked for some of the ingredients. He then decided to head up to Hightown where he was certain that he would get a generous supply of embrium for his special restoration potions for lung diseases and colds.

When he was done with all his shopping, he rushed back to his clinic, and was relieved to see only two patients waiting outside his doors. He opened one of the doors and smiled, and both his patients smiled back.

The morning went by quickly and after making himself a sandwich, he ate a quick lunch and proceeded to make the potions he needed. He was interrupted twice by two more people that stopped by, then continued with what he had been doing. It was late afternoon by the time he finished. By the time it got dark, he was putting the things in his cabinet in order and adding more bandages he had made out of white cloth. As soon as he closed the cabinet door, Faith, Varric and Isabela stepped into his clinic.

They exchanged greetings, and he gave Faith a quick kiss before he led them out of the clinic, stopping only to lock the doors. Nobody spoke as Anders took them through the alleyways of Darktown and stopped in front of what looked like a trapdoor.

"This is the entrance to the secret tunnel," Anders said in a low voice as he turned to the rest, his eyes on Faith. "Are you ready?"

"Let's go," Faith said eagerly.

...

They ran into at least two groups of lyrium smugglers along the way. Faith and Isabela had developed a strategy when attacking the foremen. One of them would distract them, moving from side to side, while the other would disappear only to reappear behind the man and perform a neat backstab. It worked all the time, since the men were already in a weakened state due to the spells that Anders had flung at them, as well as the arrows that were embedded in various parts of their arms or legs, thanks to Bianca.

They were also ambushed by giant spiders once, and fought back furiously, while Isabela danced around the poisonous ones, keeping clear of the poison they spit out and Faith slashed at them wounding them fatally. By the time they reached a bridge over a chasm, they were out of breath and exhausted.

They stopped for a bit to drink some water from their water skins and rest. Anders was absent-mindedly stroking Faith's hand. He looked drained and nervous.

"We don't have much farther to go. The way up to the Gallows is through that door," he gestured to an open door at the end of a passageway, "and up a set of stairs. Once there, there is a wooden stair leaning against one of the walls that will take us up another trapdoor into a storage room in the Templar Hall."

"How many mages have you helped escaped Anders?" Isabela asked interestedly.

"I've helped at least two dozen escape over the past two years," he replied. "Some of them bent down to kiss the ground at their feet, having escaped severe punishment back in the Circle," he added in a sad voice.

Faith shook her head angrily. "It isn't fair at all," she muttered. "Keeping them housed up like that in a prison, as if they were criminals."

"Let's go," Anders said, standing up. He extended his hand to Faith and helped her to her feet, while Isabela and Varric stood behind them.

Faith went through the door and stopped in her tracks, the rest stopping behind her. The scene that met her eyes made her blood boil with rage.

A bald templar was advancing upon a mage girl, who cowered on the ground, a group of templars surrounding them both. "Please Ser, I've done nothing wrong!" The girl was crying, begging him to spare her. "I only wanted to see my mother one last time!"

"That's a lie..." The templar said, his voice as cold as ice. "You know what we do to mages who lie, don't you?"

"No, don't make me Tranquil! I beg you! I'll do anything - anything you ask!" The girl cried.

Anders felt his control slipping, and he held on to it. "No," he whispered to Justice. "This is their place. We cannot -"

"That's right," The bald templar was now saying, his voice adopting a suggestive tone, "once you are Tranquil you'll do anything I say..." he licked his lips as he towered over her and one of his gauntleted hands reached down to touch her.

Faith felt the anger course through her veins and she took a step forward, "Take your hands off her!" She practically growled, her daggers at the ready.

Anders let himself go, the blue glow now showing through cracks in his skin as Justice took over completely, his voice booming at them from where he stood. "You fiends will pay for this!"

All hell broke loose. The templars attacked and Faith and her group fought back, Faith and Isabela jumping from templar to templar, disappearing and reappearing quickly as Anders cast a Haste spell that turned them into blurs as they moved. They slashed throats, arrows embedded into the templars' armor, and when the two Templar Hunters appeared, they did so in the middle of one of Anders's powerful Tempest spells - made even more powerful by Justice's presence - and were promptly electrocuted. The two rogues focused on their main target, which was Ser Alrik.

Isabela managed to deal a Twin blades maneuver which made him stagger but it was Faith who finished him off, her dagger sinking into his neck. Ser Alrik went down, blood gushing through his mouth and Varric's arrows managed to kill off the two remaining templars.

The battle was over, but Justice was still very much in control. "I will have every one of them for their abuse! They will all die by my hand!" He boomed.

"Anders," Faith said softly, placing a hand on his arm, "it's over! They're all dead."

Justice wrenched his arm away from Faith's hand, his staff making whooshing sounds as he brandished it through the air. "Every one of them will feel Justice's burn!" He turned to the girl who cowered in terror on the ground below him.

"Get away from me, you demon!" The girl cried out.

"I am no demon!" Justice snarled back at her. "Are you one of them, that you would call me such?"

"Anders!" Faith called out, her voice stern and firm. "That girl is a mage! We just rescued her from the Templars!"

Justice turned his head facing Faith for a moment. "She is theirs! I can feel their hold on her!"

"She is the reason you're fighting, Anders! Don't turn your back on her now!" Faith shot back angrily.

Justice got ready to send out a spell pointing his staff directly at the terrified girl, as dark smoke enveloped him, the blue light shining brightly, and then he blinked, shaking his head. Anders reappeared, doubling over, and fell to the ground on his hands and knees.

The girl ran off in the direction of Darktown, and Anders gasped for breath for a few minutes. Then he stood up, looking at Faith with the saddest expression she had ever seen.

"Maker, no!" He cried, struggling to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall. "I almost..." he shook his head. "If you weren't here, I -" Fear came into his eyes. Fear for Faith and for himself. "I have to get out of here," he said in a strangled voice, then took off, also in the direction of Darktown.

Faith was stunned for a few moments. Then she bent over Ser Alrik's corpse. She searched through his pockets and found a note that she read. Smiling, she pocketed it. She went through all the bodies, taking coin and jewelry that would fetch a price. Then she turned around and headed back to Darktown, with a silent Isabela and Varric following her.

...


	17. Picking up the Pieces

_**I wanted the chance to explore Anders's background for a bit. Not only is it important to the overall plot of my story but necessary to give his character more depth as well. So I'm taking a brief peek at the beginning of this chapter. Also, it gives both Anders and Faith a chance to strengthen their relationship. **_

_**Some smut at the end, so fair warning: Mature content ahead! **_

_**I also want to thank my lovely editor PheonRen for her invaluable help in making this fic readable. You rock! A huge thank you also to LadyCallia for her reviews and feedback and to all those who are following this fic and have it in their list of favorites and alerts! :D **_

_**Bioware owns, I swear! :D **_

Chapter 17 - Picking up the Pieces

All the way to his clinic, Anders screamed at Justice in his head, as the tears finally fell.

_What have you done? That girl was an innocent mage! It wasn't supposed to be like this! Did you intend to give them freedom by killing them all? Was that your plan all along? _

Justice did not say anything, but retreated as far as he could into Anders.

He reached his clinic, unlocked the door, and rushed in, then turned and _locked_ it behind him. His eyes searched frantically for something and he cursed under his breath and ran to the back room where he had been sleeping.

A trunk sat against the wall. He went up to it and opened it, staring at the contents.

_What are you doing? _Justice's voice suddenly rang through his head. Anders started to sort through the contents without replying. _I can sense you want to leave. You must stop. Now. _Anders ignored him, still going through the contents hurriedly, till his hands fell on an object lying on the bottom of the trunk. A hand-embroidered pillow.

His hand shot out and he touched it - a flood of memories instantly springing to his mind's eye: The templars arriving, shackling him, his mother crying out for them to stop, his father quietly brooding behind them...his mother screaming at his father for having brought the templars, his father looking down at him with a mixture of fear and disgust in his eyes, his own eyes welling up with tears, the fear he felt at the armed men...Then, his pillow was thrust into his hands, and his mother smiled down at him, smoothing his hair. His eyes focused on his mother's hands, remembering when she had hand-embroidered it for him. He had been five at the time...

Anders picked the pillow up, and brought it to his face, muffling the cry that came from his soul.

He could not stop crying.

...

Faith stood outside Anders's clinic and turned to Varric and Isabela.

"Thank you both for coming. I - really think I should take it from here...alone."

They nodded, turned and left her standing there. Faith turned to the door and tried the handle. As she suspected, it was locked. She suppressed a smile for he knew very well she could unlock that door. In a few minutes she was inside the clinic, locking the door behind her.

She advanced into the empty room, her eyes darting around the semi-darkness, until she could pick out each and every object in the room with clarity. He was nowhere to be seen, but she immediately knew where she would find him.

She picked her way through the crates stacked at the back of the room, which partially hid an open door, pausing at the entrance, for she could clearly hear the sounds of someone weeping in the small room. Her heart jolted with pain.

She advanced a couple of steps and took in the sparse furnishings in the tiny space; it was not long before she saw him, kneeling on the floor, holding what seemed to be a pillow to his face and rocking back and forth. She could still hear him weeping, and the pain in her heart increased ten-fold.

Quietly she knelt on the ground beside him and touched his shoulder. Either he chose to ignore her, or he really was in another place at that moment, because he did not react to her touch, only kept on rocking. He was still crying.

"Anders," she called out softly.

He stopped rocking. He was still holding the pillow, so she tried to take it away from his face, but his grip tightened. Faith tried another approach. "My love, please..." she said softly. He let his hands fall slowly, the pillow now on his lap, and a sigh shook his frame.

"Get away from me, Faith. I don't want to hurt you..." he said, his voice hoarse with emotion and loathing for himself, his eyes fixed on the floor.

She moved so that she was kneeling directly in front of him, but he did not - _would _not look at her.

"Look at me," she said in a low voice.

"I said, leave. Now. I'm nothing but a monster. I told you I'd end up hurting you. It's all gone wrong...Justice and I...I can't love you like this..." He stopped talking suddenly, his eyes still stubbornly on the floor.

"You knew I was there. You heard my voice. You controlled yourself and stopped yourself from hurting her. And you don't even love her. I _know_ you will never hurt me..." Faith said softly.

Tears welled up in his eyes, brimmed over, and fell once again. They were quiet tears this time, and Faith felt her own tears falling down her face. She brushed them away impatiently, her hand then moving over one of his hands that was still holding the pillow.

Her touch caused him to jerk his head up and look at her through the tears. He saw that she was crying softly too, and gave a sob but made no move to take her in his arms.

"I can't trust myself to do anything anymore. What if that creature takes over and I turn against you? What if I - he turns against the people I heal? I am truly an abomination. I wish I had never been born with this cursed magic..." He sobbed.

"You can control him, love. You just did," she said softly but firmly.

He said nothing, fixing his eyes on the floor again, one of his hands now absentmindedly stroking the pillow.

"It wasn't supposed to be like this. He was supposed to help me. When I merged with him, he told me that he would never betray my trust. He told me that I would be in control most of the time," Anders gave a bark of a laugh, his eyes glinting briefly, "all too soon I realized that was not true, when I struck all of them down. When I came to, there were dead bodies on the floor. Templars and wardens alike." He snapped his eyes up, and met hers. "That's why I left the wardens, Faith."

Her eyes widened slightly, but she still held on to his hand stubbornly. "I can help you through this. I _will_ help you through this."

He shook his head. "Nobody can help me, Faith."

"That's not true. _You_ can help yourself. I can help you help yourself," she argued.

He bowed his head for a few moments, then lifted it, meeting her eyes squarely. The sad, haunted look in them tore her heart into pieces once again. "I don't deserve you. I fear for you. Why won't you get away? Where is your common sense?"

"Since when does love have anything to do with common sense?" She replied dryly, wiping the tears from her face.

He gave her a ghost of a smile, but it vanished instantly. Still it had been a smile. Hope flooded her as she squeezed his hand. "I'll help you. I won't abandon you. I will never leave you. I know you will get through this. We will _both_ get through this together."

He was touched by her utter devotion and belief in him, and his other hand finally let go of the pillow, touching her face, caressing her cheek gently. She gave a deep sigh, rubbing her cheek against his hand. The gesture caused him to smile at her - this time the smile did not go away.

"You are a very stubborn, very reckless rogue. Whatever am I going to do with you?" He murmured.

She smiled back at him, leaning into him slowly. Their lips met in a gentle kiss. She broke away from him, suddenly remembering something and dug into her backpack, bringing out a crumpled piece of paper.

"I think you might want to see this," she said, handing it over to him.

He took the paper, the words jumping out at him...

**"To Her Excellency, Divine Justinia,**

**I am well aware both you and Knight-Commander Meredith have rejected my proposal, but I beg you to reconsider. The mages in the Free Marshes are past controlling, their numbers have doubled in three years, and they have found a way to plant their abominations in our ranks. They cannot be contained!**

**The Tranquil Solution is our answer. All mages at the age of majority must be made Tranquil. They'll coexist peacefully, retain their usefulness - a perfect strategy! It's simply the best way to ensure mages obey the laws of men and Maker. **

**I remain, as always, your obedient servant,**

**Ser Otto Alrik."**

Anders felt his heart start thumping excitedly in his chest, a faint glimmer of hope slowly taking shape in his heart. "The Divine rejected his proposal! Meredith rejected it! This means that - that..."

"Yes, love. We killed Ser Alrik. The 'Tranquil Solution' will no longer be a threat to the mages in Kirkwall, or anywhere else. Plus, both the Divine and Meredith are against it."

His face broke into a grin, as he regarded her happily, and she chuckled. It was hard to believe that he had been crying a short while ago.

"This is wonderful news!" He cried, putting the pillow back into the trunk carefully. He turned to her, his face regarding her with hope mixed with raw joy, something that was very good to see.

"So, are we going to stay like this forever?" She asked, grinning at him coyly.

The corners of his lips turned up, his crooked smile making her whole body tingle. She felt a wave of relief sweep over her at his recovery. "I don't think the cot behind us will hold either of us. It's about to break as it is."

"And your point is?" She shot back, batting her eyelashes.

One minute he was gazing at her, his eyes dark with desire, and the next, he had swept her into his arms, his lips on hers, his mouth devouring her with such a passion, she felt her body responding as the familiar heat invaded her, coursing through her veins. She was on fire. A fire set by his touch, his mouth, his eyes. The cot creaked in protest, as he fell on top, with Faith straddling him, her hands desperately trying to untie the buckles that held his coat together, his hands on her buckles as he did the same. They were both breathing heavily, as if racing to see who would get the job done before the other.

Faith succeeded before him, and he tried to sit up, but she pressed down on him, her hands now tearing at the laces of his tunic. The cot creaked painfully again as she bent down to kiss him passionately. Anders was now panting in between kisses, his hands finally succeeding in undoing all the buckles and she shook her leather armor off, now in her breast band, the soft flesh underneath straining to be free. Anders's heart caught in his throat. He had never before seen her look so beautiful to him. His hands reached out and massaged her breasts over the band, and she moaned, finally tearing his tunic apart, her hands now touching his bare skin.

She stood for a few minutes, stepping out of her breeches, nearly ripping off her smalls as well, and Anders did the same, till they stood in front of each other, totally naked. With a sob, she flung herself into his arms, pushing him back onto the cot, which creaked loudly.

Straddling him again, she leaned down to kiss him hungrily, his hands on her back first then on her buttocks. He could not get enough of her, not touch her enough. He panted and groaned as her hot clit rubbed against his throbbing erection.

He groped her breasts again and half-sat, taking a nipple in his mouth, sucking greedily, as her hands ran through his hair, his tie flying to the other side of the room. She moaned and gripped his head, biting her lower lip as she rubbed his erection again and again, until he thought he would go crazy with lust.

She continued to tease, till he could not take it any longer. Giving a feral cry, he grabbed her hips and held her tightly, stopping her movements for a while. Then, he lifted her, and positioned her over his quivering arousal. She finally moved down on it, rather quickly, so that he entered her in one thrust, his penis buried into her hot wetness to the hilt.

They both stopped all movement, savoring the feel of each other, their pleasure sky-rocketing and coursing through their veins. Anders was moaning and biting his lips in intervals, his eyes half-closed as he looked up at the goddess above him, who was leaning back and touching herself. Giving a grunt, he took her hand away possessively and replaced it with his, focusing on her nub, massaging it and sending shocks of pleasure throughout her body. She shivered and her walls tightened against his erection, which caused him to gasp and moan again.

He grabbed her hips, guiding her, showing her how to move. Slowly at first, till she picked up the rhythm, and she felt herself tensing. His erection twitched, he could not hold on any longer. They were caught up in the fire, the desire of pure raw love-making, and did not hold back.

He came before her, but her walls tightened around him and convulsed shortly afterwards as he spilled his seed deep into her, giving a cry with each spasm. She was screaming his name as she came, and for a moment, they soared into the heat, their souls dancing together.

She collapsed on top of him, sweating and breathing heavily and he held her closely, gasping for breath.

Then, quite suddenly, unable to endure any longer, the cot beneath them finally broke and hit the floor with a resounding crash.

...


	18. Slavers Galore

_**Just to let you all know I'm having a lot of computer problems. Will update as soon as I can! **_

_**A 'Fenris chapter': a couple of angry banters between Anders and Fenris, and more of a sarcastic/witty Anders in this chapter. **_

_**Thanks to all who have put this fic in their favorites! Made my day! :D **_

_**Thanks to the lovely LadyCallia for her latest review and to my lovely beta for her suggestions and help! :D **_

_**Bioware owns, for sure, sigh...**_

Chapter 18 - Slavers Galore

Faith went up the stairs that led to a huge mansion set aside from the rest. Anders was beside her, and was holding her hand. When he saw where they were, he stopped walking, his hand tugging at hers.

"What are we doing here?" He asked jealously.

Faith smiled. After the whole episode with Alrik, Anders had gotten slightly more possessive and jealous. She knew it was because everything that had happened was recent and still fresh in his mind and let it slide for the moment. "We're asking Fenris to come with us to the Wounded Coast. There have been reports of raiders' attacks there, and I want to check them out."

"So? Why not ask Aveline to come with us? She's a fantastic warrior," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"Really, love. What can you possibly be jealous of? I love _you_ not Fenris..."

"I'm not jealous!" Anders protested. "I'm just wondering why we have to take _him_." The stress on the pronoun came through clenched teeth, while his other hand balled into a fist. Faith shook her head, took a few steps to stand closer to him, and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"He's a good warrior," she said softly.

"So is Aveline!" Anders shot back, his hands now wrapping themselves around her waist. "We should take her and not _him_." His face was now so close, she could feel his hot breath on her.

She raised innocent eyes to his now stormy ones. "I _am_ taking Aveline, love," she murmured softly. Then she kissed him, hoping the kiss would be enough to calm him down. He responded passionately. More kisses followed.

"Your wily charms won't work on me this time," he murmured in between kisses. Faith pushed him away gently, a hurt expression on her face.

"What are you saying?" She pouted.

Anders smiled. "You, my dear, are amazing."

"Whatever do you mean?" Faith replied innocently, batting her eyelashes at him.

Anders chuckled. "All right, all right. We'll take him along. I guess it won't hurt to have two warriors with us. But, I warn you...I'm itching to have a go at him. He'd better behave himself, or I'll fry him."

"He'll probably try to set you off, you know. The only reason he does it is because he _knows_ you'll react to his banter." She smiled. "You two behave like overgrown children."

He said nothing to this, so she opened the door and went inside, Anders trailing behind, a hand on her back.

"Weird that he never locks his door," Faith said under her breath.

"He likes it that way. I assume he wants the thugs inside his house so he can practice squeezing their hearts," Anders deadpanned. Faith rolled her eyes.

They went up the stairs, and found Fenris sitting at a table, polishing his greatsword. He stood up when he saw them and smiled at Hawke, his eyes darting swiftly to Anders and back to her again.

"Hawke. What a surprise," Fenris greeted her in a monotone. "What can I do for you?"

"I'll be heading out to the Wounded Coast with Aveline today, Fenris. There have been report of raiders ambushing wagons and people who use the west route to the city, and I want to check it out. I wonder if you could join us?" She smiled brightly. Fenris did not smile back, but he seemed calm, so she forced herself to relax.

"All right. Just let me finish with this. I'm nearly done."

Faith nodded, turning her head slightly to inspect Anders, who was staring interestedly at a pattern on the wall.

So far so good...

Fenris finished and stood up, strapping the sword on his back. "I'm ready," he said quietly. "Lead the way, Hawke."

They all went out of the manor, Anders keeping his hand on her back all the while. It was all fine and dandy until they reached the staircase that led up to the Viscount's Keep.

"Did I hear correctly? _You_ are an abomination?" Fenris broke the silence and Faith started to pray.

"Why don't you shout?" Anders snarled at him. "I don't think everyone in Starkhaven heard you!"

"So you think you're harmless, is that it? An abomination who would _never_ harm anyone?"

"Like ripping someone's heart out of his chest?" Anders shot back.

"I did that at the behest of no demon!" Fenris practically growled at him.

"We agree then. It doesn't take a demon to be a vicious killer!"

"Oh, look!" Faith interrupted, forcing herself to sound happy and carefree. "Here we are in the keep already! Doesn't time fly when you are having fun?"

"I seem to recall you saying something as well..." Fenris whispered to Anders. Faith stopped at the stairs that led to the barracks. She shut her eyes painfully, wishing her ears were non-existent.

"Shut up!" Anders growled.

"'I can control it.' Wasn't that what you said?" Fenris whispered back.

"So help me." Anders whispered back. Faith turned to him. His cheeks were a bright vermillion. She pressed her hand to his cheek and he looked down into her eyes. Standing on her toes, she placed a kiss on his right cheek, and then stepped away. He sighed deeply and fixed his gaze on the opposite wall as he struggled to get his temper in check.

Faith then turned to Fenris, and stared at him disapprovingly. The elf lowered his eyes after a while.

"Fenris, if you didn't needle him, then you two wouldn't be arguing all the time. Try not to do that."

"As you wish," Fenris mumbled.

Faith resumed her walk, and this time both of them were mercifully silent.

...

They arrived at the Wounded Coast promptly. Faith had also asked Varric to come along, hoping that his comments would lessen the tension in the air.

Once they turned to the path that would lead them into the west route, they were suddenly ambushed by armored men.

"You are in possession of stolen property. Give the slave to me, and I'll let you walk away unharmed!" a man yelled at them from behind the armored men that were quickly surrounding them.

Faith's eyes quickly spotted the man, who was standing next to a man holding a staff - a mage under his command, no doubt. "Fenris is a free man!" She yelled back at him angrily, completely ignoring the men closing in on her.

"I'm sure he'll take that well, love," Anders whispered behind her, his staff already in his hands.

"I said back away from the slave now!" The man repeated heatedly.

"I am _not_ a slave!" Fenris yelled out in rage, the lyrium etched into his skin lighting up instantly.

"Nothing like denial to start a fight," Varric murmured, Bianca now poised gracefully between his hands and aimed directly at the men in front of him.

Faith whipped her daggers out, while Aveline drew her sword, her shield already held out in front of her.

The men attacked and Faith ran quickly in between them, making a beeline for the mage and the man who obviously was in charge. Gathering momentum, she rushed into them and sent the man and mage flying to the air, to land a few feet away. Then she jumped right up to the mage, disappearing and reappearing behind him, just as he was getting up. One of her daggers sank into his back; she flipped the other one in her hand and used the hilt to knock him out cold. The mage slipped to the ground, unconscious.

The leader of the group groped for his sword, only to find it gone. Startled, he looked up to see a smiling Faith in front of him, holding the sword in her hand.

"Looking for this?" She purred. A Winter's Grasp spell hit the man squarely on the chest, and he froze in his tracks. Faith turned back to look at Anders, and grinned, then dashed off to continue fighting.

The fight in itself did not last long. Soon, there was nobody left standing. The group took out their water skins and sat on the sandy ground while they drank silently. A groan reached their ears from somewhere around the fallen men. Fenris put his water skin away and walked to where the sound had come from.

The mage was still alive, but barely. Fenris's hand yanked the mage's hair, pulling his head up. "Where is Danarius?" He growled, slamming the man's head on the ground.

"I - I don't know," the mage whimpered. "We came here with Hadriana. She is at the Holding Caves, north from here. I can show you the way."

"No need, I know where they are," Fenris sneered.

"Please, don't kill me!" The mage cried out.

"You chose the wrong master." Fenris then twisted the mage's neck around, breaking it and killing him instantly.

Fenris turned to Hawke. "Hadriana!" He said in an angry voice. "I was a fool to think I had gotten away!"

"Who is Hadriana?" Faith asked.

"She is my former master's apprentice. A swiveling social climber who would sell her own children if he asked her to."

"How charming," Anders said sarcastically.

"I knew he would send her after me eventually," Fenris continued, ignoring Anders's remark.

"Then what are we doing standing around? Let's go get her!" Faith told Fenris. Fenris smiled at her.

"This way," he said. "Let's hope we are not too late."

They ran into a large number of slavers at the entrance to the cave and a mage who shot out fire spells at the party. Anders promptly paralyzed the mage, then summoned a Tempest spell to help the team out, while Faith, Aveline and Fenris hacked into the slavers, Varric shooting volleys of arrows, slowing them down substantially.

When they had finished the slavers off, Faith walked around looting the corpses and opening chests at the entrance to the cave. Once they were done, they all followed her inside.

...

The cave was full of winding passageways, full of dead corpses on cots that clearly had been used for blood magic. Anders lips formed a thin line of disapproval, while Fenris voiced his anger at the mages who used blood magic to further their ambitions. Aveline, Faith and Varric said nothing, but continued to walk down the seemingly deserted passages.

They reached a bend in one of them and Faith spotted a door at the end. Walking up to it, she pushed it open. They were instantly attacked by a group of slavers, and fought back quickly, before the enemy had a chance to properly organize a counterattack.

This happened all the way, as they continued to open doors that led to rooms and went deeper into the cave until they reached a stone staircase leading up to another stone door.

When Faith opened it, she walked into a vast room. At the far end, she could see a group of slavers attacking a poor elven woman, who screamed for help. Her hackles raised and she attacked the men instantly, Fenris rushing in a scythe movement to send three of them sprawling to the ground. More men arrived to help the others, and the group fought back. Faith threw a fire bomb at a group of four, burning them. The men howled in pain, and stopped attacking, allowing Faith and Fenris to quickly cut them down. Aveline dispatched another one. Anders sent out a glyph of repulsion on the floor in front of four others that were running towards Faith and the men were thrown away violently. Varric's arrows were shot with a vengeance, embedding themselves on the men's armor.

Once the enemies had all been killed, Faith and her party made their way to where the elven woman was standing.

"Are you hurt?" Fenris asked in a surprisingly soft voice.

"They took papa!" The woman cried. "They bled him dry! Killed him!"

"Why would they do something like that?" Fenris asked, clearly upset.

"It's a demon at work, Fenris," Anders said sadly. "By now, the person who summoned it is probably completely turned."

"I don't understand!" The woman babbled on. "The magister loved papa's soup!"

"Is the magister still here?" Faith asked, not unkindly.

"I think so," the woman answered. Then she turned to Fenris, and set her large eyes on him. "Are you my master now?"

"No!" Fenris cried out angrily.

"But I can cook! I can clean! What else can I do?" The woman said sadly.

Faith's heart went out to the elven woman. "If you go to Kirkwall, I can help you," she said kindly. "My name is Hawke. What's your name?"

"Orana, Mistress," She replied, as she smiled at Faith. "You are too kind! Thank you!" And Orana curtseyed before disappearing into the cave, clearly in the direction of the entrance.

"I didn't realize you were in the market for a slave!" Fenris growled at her.

Anders took two steps forward, but before he could do or say anything, Faith had already turned to face Fenris.

"I gave her a job, Fenris," she told him quietly.

"Ah...well...then that's good." Fenris faltered. "Let's go find Hadriana quickly and be done with this place." He quickly started to walk to the other side of the room, too embarrassed to even look at Faith in the eyes.

"Ha!" Shouted Anders, as he followed in his steps. "That ought to teach you to keep your mouth shut!" Faith brought her elbow to his chest, and he gave a cry, turning a hurt gaze on her.

"You're acting like a baby!" She hissed at him.

But Fenris did not turn or acknowledge Anders, so intent was he in finding the mage that had caused him so much pain in his past.

...

The final confrontation was a long one. Once the team had killed off the remaining slavers, Hadriana started to summon undead and shades to fight at her side. Aveline was hurt, as was Fenris, and Anders had to drink down two lyrium potions in order to keep up with the healing and offensive spells he was flinging in between. Faith remained miraculously untouched, for she was never in one place for long, jumping and dashing from foe to foe. When the last shade had been dispatched, Fenris stood over Hadriana, holding his greatsword up to kill her.

"Stop! You do not want to kill me!" She cried out.

"There is only one person I want dead more," Fenris snarled at her. "And he isn't here..."

"I have information elf, and I would exchange it in return for my life!" Hadriana said quickly.

Fenris snorted. "The location of Danarius? What use is that to me now? I'd rather kill his pet pupil."

"You have a sister! She is alive! I can tell you where you can find her, if you let me go..." Hadriana cried out, the words spilling out of her mouth so fast, it took some time for them to register.

Faith turned her head to look at Fenris. He was frozen on the spot, a bewildered look on his face. Slowly, he brought the sword down, and strapped it to his back.

"A sister?" He said, leaning forward, looking down at her, his green eyes wide with shock.

"She is alive. I will tell you all I know, but promise me you will let me go."

Fenris nodded, bending over her, waiting for her to speak.

"Then I have your word? You will let me go?" She whispered.

"You have my word," Fenris nodded again.

"She is in Qarinus, under the employment of a tailor master there."

"She isn't a slave?" Fenris breathed out.

"She is not a slave. She works for him. You can send her a letter yourself if you don't believe me. Now...will you let me go?"

As soon as she said those words, Fenris's hand shot out, his fist penetrating Hadriana's chest quickly, not unlike a snake striking its victim. He squeezed once, and she groaned before she died, falling to the floor with a thud.

Fenris straightened up, and turned around quickly to leave. It was then that Faith spoke up.

"Do you want to talk about this?" She asked him gently.

"No! I don't! This could be a trap! Danarius could have told her to do this, so I could go back to look for her! There will always be a reason for mages to crush lives, and enslave others! What has magic touched that it doesn't spoil?"

Faith blinked back at him, her eyes widening with shock, and Fenris suddenly realized that he had gone too far.

"I have to go," he said, and quickly left the group standing there. Nobody said anything for a while until Anders broke the silence.

"_**Now**_ will you let me shoot a fireball at him?"

...


	19. The Qunari Threat

_**Wow! Thanks SO much for all the reviews, auradorina! They really made my day, sweetie! Nice to see you're enjoying the fic! A special thanks to FereldensOwnHeroine for her review and adding me to her favorites! **_

_**Well, this is my take on the Qunari threat. Not really much to say here, except I added a couple of twists here and there, nothing major. The real twist will come later. **_

_**You know how time seems to be non-existent in the game? I hated that! Well, time will and does go by in this fic, as you are about to find out in later chapters. That way all the gaps and time that goes by when Varric tells his story makes more sense, IMHO. **_

_**Stupid computer is still not at 100%. Ah, well. As long as hubby lends me his laptop to update regularly, all is well! :D **_

Chapter 19 – The Qunari Threat

Faith stood over the desk laden with letters, notes and missives. With a sigh, she brushed away the ones from prominent nobles. She knew very well what was in them: an invitation to a ball, banquet or gathering. Ever since she had bought the estate and her mother had once again taken up her old friendships with the nobles, she had been plagued with all the missives that she had received. She knew her mother was having fun attending these social events. She was, however, very different from her and shied away from them, burning the notes and letters later when she was alone.

In the beginning, her mother had questioned her about her reluctance to attend the parties, and she would bat her eyes innocently at her, lying effortlessly that she had not received an invitation. Since she had burned all the blasted invitations, she got away with it, too. After asking her a few more times, Leandra had given up. By this time, however, Faith and Anders were in a romance, so Leandra had left them to it and not asked her to accompany her out again, something that Faith was exceedingly grateful for.

An envelope bearing the seal of the Viscount caught her eye, and she picked it up, staring at it in confusion.

Faith had met the Viscount years before, when she had rescued his son, Seamus from unscrupulous mercenaries that had been trying to 'rescue' him from a Qunari. The said Qunari had turned out to be a friend to Seamus, and the leader of the group, a callous woman by the name of Winter, had succeeded in killing the giant and had Seamus cowering on his knees by the time Faith and her team had arrived to take care of the situation. She remembered she had tried to keep out of the ensuing argument between father and son when Seamus had finally been brought to the Viscount. It had surprised her to learn, when meeting Seamus briefly during one of her visits to Aveline at a later date, that he clearly admired her, even if she hadn't supported his views.

She opened the envelope, and the words on the parchment caused her eyes to widen briefly. _What in Andraste's name was going on? _

At that moment, she heard Bodahn greeting Anders cheerfully and turned to smile at him. She had given Anders the key to the cellars, the door being so close to his clinic that it made sense in the first place that he should have it. He was walking slowly towards her with a smile on his lips, which caused her heart to flutter. Already her knees were shaking beneath her with anticipation.

"Love, I'm done for the day. What's new?" Anders briefly took her in his arms giving her a chaste kiss.

It was enough for her to feel the tingling sensation course throughout her body, however. Anders had found his way into her heart and body with such a force, she felt like a foolish teenager at times.

"I got this from the Viscount," she replied, holding out the letter to him.

"Viscount, huh?" He chuckled, taking the letter in his hand to read. "You _are_ moving up in the world…"

"It's a mystery. It must be my charm," she replied, batting her eyelashes at him.

But Anders did not chuckle in response. He had finished reading the letter and was now looking at her curiously. "Why would he request to see you personally, love?" He sighed. "What have you done now?"

"I haven't done anything!" Faith exclaimed, looking hurt in the process.

Anders chuckled. She was good at feigning innocence and pain, when he very well knew there was none. In the short months that they had been living together, he had grown to love this more about her. Her witty comments, her sarcasm, and her jokes had him secretly begging for more and put him in an optimistic, carefree state of mind. She brought out the old Anders in him and he loved this. He was able to successfully drown out Justice, too, and that was something that pleased him, considering what had happened. Although, the more he thought about it, the more it seemed to him that Justice had merely withdrawn after the unpleasant incident with the girl in the gallows. Thankfully, that was all behind him, and Faith had managed to help him out of the misery he had experienced. He had reopened his clinic and was back at healing again.

"Sorry, darling," he crooned as he nuzzled her neck and lovingly bit her earlobe. "I didn't mean to suggest anything."

"If you continue to do that, I may even forget what it is we are talking about," she sighed, her whole body melting in the process.

Anders gave a bark of a laugh and his twinkling eyes met hers. "Does that mean I'm having you for dinner?" His voice low and suggestive sent a fire coursing through her body.

"Hello, Anders," Leandra called out happily from the entrance of the foyer. "I'm glad to see you are home early this time."

"Hello, Leandra. Glad to be here," Anders replied, grinning.

Leandra turned to Bodahn. "Hello, Bodahn."

"Mistress Amell, dinner will be ready in an hour," he told her happily.

Anders greeted Bodahn, and announced he would be heading upstairs to wash up for dinner, while Faith turned to show Leandra the letter she had gotten from the Viscount. Leandra was excited, to say the least, while Faith was itching to get upstairs. Fortunately, Leandra announced that she would be heading to her room for a hot bath before dinner, giving Faith the opportunity to dash up to her room where she could finally have some time alone with Anders.

…

The following morning, Anders woke up first. This was not rare; he usually woke up long before she did. He was a light sleeper too, but had started to fall into a deep, refreshing sleep since he began sleeping at the estate.

He turned his head slightly to look at her and smiled. Her hair was tousled and the light coming in from the window made it shine softly. She was curled up on her side, facing him, the curve on her hips tantalizing to him. The sheet barely covered her waist, and Anders felt himself getting aroused. He sighed and shook his head. He knew that she would be bouncing out of bed frantically the moment she woke, for she had the appointment with the Viscount.

Leaning over on his elbow, he whispered into her ear. "Love, you have to get up. Remember the Viscount?"

Faith mumbled incoherently as she stirred. Anders waited patiently for a few minutes, a smile playing on the corners of his lips. Her eyes suddenly flew open.

"Maker's breath! The Viscount!" She exclaimed, getting out of bed and racing around the room, looking for a clean tunic, her leather jerkin, and boots.

Anders chuckled as he went to the bathroom to wash up before dressing. His clothes were neatly placed inside the armoire, so he walked towards it once he was done.

"You _are_ coming with me, aren't you?" Faith asked as she was putting on her boots.

"I can't, love. I have to see if there are any patients waiting for me at the clinic."

Faith pouted, letting out a sigh. "You are a good healer, Anders. Can't you open later today?"

She looked so adorable, standing there, one boot in hand, still pouting, that Anders could not resist.

"All right, all right," he said. Faith threw herself into his waiting arms, squealing with excitement. "I guess it won't hurt to open the clinic tomorrow. I'll tag along with you today."

"Oh! I love you so much!" She exclaimed, kissing him hard on the lips. Anders burst out laughing.

"Are you suggesting you love me only because I tag along?" He teased, lifting one of his eyebrows quizzically at her.

"Silly! Of course not," she shot back, disengaging herself from his arms and sitting down on the bed to continue putting on her boots.

"Thank the Maker for that," Anders chuckled, as he slipped into his smalls and tunic.

…

They made their way to the docks, pausing only to stop at The Hanged Man, where Faith had asked Varric and Isabela to meet them later at the merchant stand in the docks. The Viscount had been brief and to the point. The arishok had asked for Faith specifically and the Viscount had asked Faith to go see him.

Faith went up to the Qunari guarding the gates. "I have to see the Arishok," she said quietly. The Qunari looked at her and nodded after a while. "You are Hawke, are you not? Enter. He is expecting you."

The giant sitting on the makeshift throne at the top of some stone stairs was impressive. For one, his horns were slightly longer and thicker than the rest. He had an air of wisdom about him, and his countenance was grave - far graver than it had been years ago, when they had first met. Even though the Qunari were difficult to read, it was plain to see that something was bothering him.

"Serah Hawke." He said in a low voice, briefly nodding his head in her direction.

"What can I do for you today, Arishok?" Faith replied and waited patiently for him to continue.

"Last we met; I did not know your name - did not care to. You have changed your fortune over the years. The Qunari, have not." The Arishok's voice rumbled.

"And your point is?" Faith shot back, a bit impatiently.

"Your kind is a filth that surrounds me, selfish in their wants and needs. You, however, have proven yourself different. Someone has stolen what he thinks is the formula for gaatlok and it would be wise for you to take care of it."

"You mean the recipe for the explosives?" Faith asked.

"The thief thought so. But he has stolen saar-qamek. A deadly poison," the Arishok replied.

"Excuse me? That sounds like a feat to me," Faith commented dryly.

"It was allowed. It was a decoy. You should see to the thief and take care of it," the Arishok said, looking down at her solemnly.

Faith bristled. What was going on here? One name popped into her head immediately: Javaris Tintop.

"That thief, Javaris Tintop!" She exclaimed.

The Arishok nodded. "Would he be so foolish? Or would he risk it all for coin and power?"

"And just how deadly is this poison?" She demanded.

"If it is made, even in small quantities, it is dangerous and fatal to your kind, but harmless to the Qunari. If the thief intends to make the powder and release it, it would be a gas that turns people against each other and drives them mad. Death is certain to follow after a few days," the Arishok said in a monotone.

Faith's heart flew to her throat, understanding the threat and danger immediately. "Thank you for bringing this to my attention," she told him, bowing her head.

"Panehadan, Hawke. I do not hope you die," the Arishok replied, a half-smile on his lips.

Wordlessly, Faith turned and walked out of the Qunari compound, Anders following closely behind her.

"We're hunting a thief now? I guess the Coterie would be a safe bet," he mused.

"I'm going to kill Javaris for this," Faith said, rolling her eyes.

…

Faith discovered through a Coterie woman that was selling the leases of Javaris Tintop, that he had fled, presumably using the underground tunnels of Smuggler's Cut. She turned to Varric, Isabela and Anders and sighed.

"This is just great. I hope we can get to him in time to find out what he did with the damn poison."

"I'm sensing you don't like Javaris much, but before you do anything drastic, I'll point out that he's not a killer, merely an ambitious fellow," Varric commented, his eyes worried as he looked up at her.

"Right. But that doesn't excuse his stupid behavior anyway," she muttered as she walked off to find the entrance to Smuggler's Cut.

"Just try not to kill him before we get answers from him, love," Anders said, suppressing a smile.

They arrived at the entrance to the tunnels and went down.

Smuggler's Cut was teeming with miscreants. They slowly made their way through the tunnels, fighting when attacked or ambushed. It was a hot and uncomfortable trip, and by the time they reached the natural incline that led to the outdoors, Faith was sweating profusely, which made her temper rise even more.

As soon as they stepped outside, they were ambushed again. Apparently Javaris had surrounded himself with bodyguards. Faith now screamed as she rushed towards the nearest mercenaries, Isabela quickly running behind her. Varric shot a volley of arrows that slowed down the attackers, while Anders focused on the archers. The fight was not hard and soon all the mercenaries were lying dead at their feet, while Javaris cowered in his place as Faith took long steps towards him, seething with fury.

"Is that the way to greet an old friend?" She sneered at him.

"You? Of course they would send you," Javaris sighed. "I knew that sodding elf would track me down sooner or later."

"What in blazes are you talking about? What elf?" Faith asked, her anger quickly dissolving.

"What? You don't know? Are you tracking for the Qunari then?" Javaris seemed confused. "Then that elf got them against me after all! Bitch born!" He said angrily.

Anders chuckled beside Faith. "The obvious thief was perhaps a bit too obvious."

"So far, all I see is you," Faith commented.

"Leaving the other person behind is all part of running away - sorry if that is inconvenient for you," Javaris wise-cracked. "Look, you want to get even? You want to shed light on the whole thing? I had the elf followed and she is in Lowtown, here are the directions," he handed Hawke a map. "Me, I just want to get out, with my dead guards, thanks for that..."

"Better luck wherever you're heading then, Javaris. Just get out of here, and far away. And...don't ever come back, or I'll kill you myself."

"Right. I think I'll change careers - become a boot merchant," Javaris muttered as he knelt beside one of the dead guards.

Faith shook her head and turned away, facing Anders. "Time to get this elf."

"Time for some real fun then, huh?" Anders remarked smiling.

"Another battle? Good. Bianca needs the exercise, don't you, my sweet?" Varric crooned as he glanced at the crossbow in his hands.

"Let's go. Hopefully we'll be able to put an end to all this, before it kills people," Faith said shaking her head.

...

The elf was already mad. Faith ended up killing her and all the mercenaries in the alley, as well as close the containers so that the poison gas would stop spreading. The task was not easy, and they were exposed to the gas while they fought against the crazy mercenaries and guards, but it was well worth it at the end.

Faith smiled at the guard at the door as she left, pleased to hear him thank her for her help. She had saved innocent people from certain death, and that is what mattered.

They all wearily trudged along, pausing only in front of The Hanged Man to say goodnight to Varric and Isabela, then Faith and Anders walked hand in hand to the estate. Faith was quiet and immersed in her own thoughts, while Anders was in a chatty mood. He kept talking non-stop all the way to the estate, and Faith ended up smiling at what he said, even chuckling at one of his jokes. She knew he was doing it to lessen her concern because he knew very well that she would be up nearly all night worrying about what would happen the following day. The Arishok was a difficult kind to deal with, after all.

"Copper for your thoughts, sweetheart," Anders said on the way up the stairs close to the estate.

Faith smiled and gave him a sidelong glance. "I'm worried about all this. There is actually someone behind all this, you heard the elf. I wonder who that could be?"

"I suggest we discuss this later, love. You're exhausted and need a good night's sleep," he said quietly.

Faith did not reply. They had arrived at the estate, and she went inside, Anders following closely behind. He automatically turned and locked the door, then followed her up to the bedroom.

"How about a nice hot bath, love?" Anders suggested. "I'll massage your back for you afterwards. That will soothe you, don't you agree?"

She smiled up at him, her eyes shining like stars. "I think I'm the luckiest person in Thedas."

Anders shook his head smiling. "That would be me. But you come in second." Then he bowed his head and captured her lips with a kiss.

...

Faith had been right about one thing: The meeting with the Arishok had not been pleasant at all. The whole meeting had ended on a tense note, for the Arishok had grown angrier with each word he spoke. At the end he told Hawke that he was stuck in Kirkwall, but not because he didn't have a ship, but because he needed to retrieve something important to the Qunari, which had been stolen many years ago.

What troubled Faith the most about the whole affair was that the elf had mentioned before the final confrontation that there was a group of people behind it all. A group of people that actually were looking to disrupt the peace between the humans and the Qunari.

She walked back to the estate, deep in thought. She knew she had to talk to the Viscount, but she was still upset over the whole thing, so she decided to take it easy for a couple of days. She cracked her knuckles and smiled. A nice outing would do her some good. She decided to take Merrill along this time. It had been a while since she had seen her.

There was a storm that night, something that Faith was not really fond of. She gave a sigh of relief when she saw Anders opening the door to her room and walk towards her. Flinging herself into his arms, she smothered him with kisses.

Anders burst out laughing as soon as he got the chance. "Not that I'm protesting, but what is this all about?" He chuckled.

"I'm just happy to see you safe, darling," Faith replied as she lay her head on his chest.

"Now I _know_ something is up. What is it, love? Is it the Arishok?"

"I'm thinking about who is behind all this. It doesn't look well at all. If they really want to disrupt the peace..." Faith's voice trailed off, but Anders nodded.

"Then it means this will not stop till it ends with war," he sighed.

...


	20. Leandra's Fate

_**Well I finally have my computer working properly. I want to thank my darling beta, PheonRen for her fantastic editing skills. I also want to thank HyperPenguin for her lovely review! Made my day! Last but not least, thanks to all of you who have put this fic in the favorites! Wow, so many of you, I am touched! Love you all! **_

_**A sad chapter, that was difficult to write, but also has a major twist in it, which I hope you'll like! :D**_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 20 - Leandra's Fate

Leandra had met him one day while she was out shopping in Lowtown, on her way home from her weekly visit to Gamlen. She had bumped into him and had been rightly flustered and embarrassed, mumbling her apologies, as he bent and gathered her packages for her. He was dressed in robes, so she immediately surmised that he was a mage, and smiled. The stranger had smiled back at her, and she felt herself attracted to him.

They started a conversation, and moved to one of the stone benches next to The Hanged Man. Soon, they were laughing and talking just about everything. Leandra found him charming. He even told her she was lovely and she felt herself blushing.

As the afternoon progressed, Leandra found herself telling him about her husband and his death. The man proved to be both sympathetic and reassuring. She felt an inner peace with him that she had not felt in a long time. _What are you getting yourself into, Leandra? Another mage? Really? _

But then they agreed to meet again the following afternoon at one of the inns in Hightown for a bite to eat. Leandra found out that she had no problem accepting his invitation and was surprised to feel that she actually wanted to see him again.

They parted with a smile and he bent over to kiss her hand before he left.

"How silly of me!" Leandra giggled, much to her dismay. _When had she become a drooling schoolgirl?_ "I didn't ask your name, though you know mine!"

"You, my dear lady, can call me Quentin." And the mage with the silvery eyes bowed again and took his leave.

...

Faith arrived at the mansion feeling rested and relaxed. They had just been to visit the Dalish where she had talked to Feynriel. She was happy to see him, though both he and the keeper confessed that he still hadn't managed to control his inner demons. The keeper had even expressed her concern over this. However, she also thanked Faith for having pointed him in their direction. A few years had gone by since his rescue, but it was the first time she had actually met up with him. She was glad that she did.

While they were in Sundermount, Faith and her party decided to climb to the summit. She had not counted on the undead that were prowling about. Nevertheless, her party was well equipped to face the horde that ambushed them, as well as the demons that lay in their path. It was invigorating to be fighting again, something that Faith enjoyed wholeheartedly.

Upon reaching the summit, they were attacked by a mature dragon, much like the one that they had met while at the Bone Pit. The team fought bravely and their efforts were rewarded when the beast finally died.

"That was exciting!" She heard Merrill say behind her.

"Exciting, she says!" Anders commented wryly. "That thing nearly singed our hair and eyebrows, and _she_ says it was exciting." He sighed dramatically.

"Did you see that shot?" Varric exclaimed. "Bianca, you are amazing, my sweet!"

"I swear the way you caress your crossbow is...unique, to say the least," Anders murmured, scratching his chin thoughtfully.

"Jealous, Blondie?" Varric chuckled. "You shouldn't be. After all, Hawke is an indestructible goddess."

"And cute, too," Anders agreed, moving next to her and placing a peck on her right cheek.

Faith giggled. "Well, I suppose we'd better head back to ol' boring Kirkwall," she sighed.

"Lead the way, love," Anders said cheerfully as he slipped an arm around her shoulders.

The way down was cheerful, but Faith found herself lost in thought. Anders turned his head slightly to regard her.

"Are you all right, sweetheart?"

Faith came out of her reverie with a smile. "Oh. Don't mind me. I'm just wondering why things are so peaceful in Kirkwall right now."

She was right. Even though she had informed the Viscount of the Arishok's reaction several months before, nothing major had happened. Both the Arishok and the rest of Kirkwall was quiet; no threats had been made against him or the rest of the Qunari, and everything seemed peaceful.

"This is so like you to want it to be otherwise," Anders quipped. "I imagine you're just itching for something a little more dramatic."

She laughed. "Not that I love chaos and doom, but you have to admit Kirkwall _is_ kind of dull right now."

"Hmmm. I guess dull works for me, sometimes. Especially when the nights seem so full of excitement." Anders's eyes twinkled warmly and she felt herself getting excited.

"I guess we'd better hurry up and get home then," she flirted, her voice low and sensuous.

Anders gave her a sidelong smile, his eyes dark with passion. "I can't wait," he added, his voice a whisper.

...

The mansion was quiet, Leandra was nowhere to be seen, but Anders and Faith were already kissing each other passionately and didn't much care who was in the main hall at that moment. However, they were interrupted by Leandra who arrived with her cheeks flushed and a smile on her lips.

"Darlings!" She cried out as she rushed to greet them happily. She gave them each a peck on the cheek and - Faith was appalled to note - _floated_ up to her room.

"What's up with Mother?" She quizzed, as Anders turned back to focus on her neck, which was tantalizing to him at the moment.

"Mmm," he hummed into her flesh, as he trailed kisses from her earlobe to the curve of her neck.

"I see you didn't notice," she squirmed, trying to control the climbing desire inside her. "But Mother is acting strangely."

"Mmm," Anders retorted, now fully focused on the other side of her neck.

Faith sighed and gave in, and they kissed all the way to her bedroom. Once there, with the door firmly locked behind them, they indulged in their passion for the rest of the evening until it was time for dinner.

At the dinner table, Leandra said something that shocked Faith and surprised Anders.

"I'm wondering if I should remarry."

Faith's fork dropped onto her plate at the same time her jaw dropped open. Anders, who had been attacking his meat with gusto, froze and his eyes darted over to Leandra, a puzzled look on his face.

Leandra smiled at both of them, oblivious to their apparent shock. "Well, it looks like you, my dear, are all set. I can see Anders makes you incredibly happy. And for that I am grateful." She regarded him with a proud look, and he blushed slightly. She turned back to her daughter. "It's just that I have so much time on my hands as of late. And I feel so very alone."

"Remarry?" Faith echoed.

"Well, you are nearly twenty-seven and I hardly see you. I wouldn't want to be breathing down your shoulder every time you come home, especially since you both are together."

"But -" Faith began and was interrupted again by Leandra.

"I would never replace your father. Don't even think that. Nobody could ever replace him. But it is refreshing to think I can still be courted at my age, don't you think?" She smiled sweetly at Faith, and Faith had to smile back. She looked so happy and carefree. When was the last time she had seen her like this?

"If it makes you happy, why not, mother?" Faith agreed.

...

Leandra received the white lilies a week later.

She had been singing in the courtyard of the mansion, as she tended to the roses in the garden there, and Bodahn had interrupted her with a wide smile on his face.

As soon as she saw the bouquet of lilies in his hands, her smile had frozen. She knew, from a couple of years back that there was a serial killer out in Kirkwall, and that he targeted women. She also knew that he sent white lilies to each victim from her friend Alessa, and from what Faith had told her. Her hand flew to her throat, but she received the bouquet and put them in a vase on a table in the main hall.

She quickly hurried to her room to wash up and change; she had to meet Quentin at 'The Lion Inn' not too far away, and she didn't want to be late.

...

She tried not to seem too worried as her eyes caught his and she allowed herself to be led to a table.

"My dear, you look lovely as always," he murmured, kissing her hand and squeezing it softly.

They sat at a table and ordered some wine, and he kept his eyes on her the entire time. Those eyes that Leandra found so mesmerizing...

"I'm sorry if I seem so distant, it's just that -" Leandra bit her bottom lip nervously.

"What is it, my dear? You can trust me," he said reassuringly.

"Well, there is a killer in Kirkwall who targets women. He sends them white lilies. I received a bouquet this morning," she said, turning her concerned eyes on him.

"That is...most...disturbing," he said slowly.

"I'm sure my daughter will take care of this. She is amazing! But...I do have to go through Lowtown tomorrow to visit my brother. It's a weekly visit, and he'll worry if I don't show up," she said, wringing her hands.

"If it makes you feel any better, I'll meet you in Lowtown, my dear. I will do all I can to protect you."

"You would? That is so good of you! Thank you!" Leandra breathed out, considerably relieved.

"It is my pleasure, Leandra. No need to thank me..." the man murmured as he took her hand and squeezed it gently.

...

When Leandra arrived at Lowtown later that day, she saw Quentin hobbling up to her, holding a hand to his side. She had left the house later, hoping to throw the murderer off in case he was following her, and had stopped by one of her friend's houses along the way. Her walk to Lowtown had been slow as she had stopped every now and then to make sure she wasn't followed. The street she was walking along had seemed deserted until she had seen Quentin, and her heart had flown to her throat.

"What is it? Are you hurt?" She asked as she rushed to his side. He was now kneeling on the floor and gasping.

"Dear Leandra. I was attacked by a man. I - I need to get to where I live. I have some strong potions there to heal myself."

"Don't talk!" Leandra said, as she helped him to stand. "I'll help you get there. Don't worry. You'll be fine!"

...

Faith had been out taking care of a personal problem for Aveline. She smiled to herself as she remembered what they had just been through. Anders was still chuckling under his breath, while Varric was grinning and Isabela was trying not to laugh.

But as soon as they were out of the keep, they all burst out laughing.

"So, Aveline and Donnic, huh?" Anders grinned.

"It boggles the mind, I know," Isabela butt in, chuckling.

"I can't wait to tell this one. Nobody will believe me," Varric grinned.

"You can always give them copper marigolds," Faith smirked. "I'm sure they'll believe anything once they receive them."

Everyone burst out laughing to this, and Faith turned to walk down the stairs, the rest trailing behind as they continued with their comments.

When Faith reached the Hawke manor, Varric and Isabela said goodbye. Anders and Faith walked into the manor hand in hand, smiling. There was some shouting coming from the main hall, so Faith looked at Anders alarmingly before rushing into the room.

Her uncle stood there, yelling at Sandal, who could not understand what he was saying. As soon as Gamlen saw her, he gave a sigh of relief.

"There you are! I wanted to speak to your mother. Where is she? Is she alright?"

"I'm tempted to say she isn't, just to see your reaction," Faith smiled.

"Your mother was supposed to come by my house today on her weekly visit, but never showed up. Is she ill? Where is she?"

"We haven't seen her since early this afternoon, Gamlen," Bodahn spoke up. "She received those white lilies and left." He gestured towards a vase of white lilies on the table in the far end of the room.

Faith's hand flew to her mouth as she let out a small cry. Fear clutched her heart in a vise-like grip.

"What is it? Why are you reacting like this?" Gamlen asked sharply.

"There is a killer in Kirkwall who targets women. He's murdered several over the years. He sends them a bouquet of white lilies before he takes them," she said in a small voice.

"No! Not Leandra! I'm sure she's fine!" Gamlen shouted, his brow creased with worry.

"It doesn't hurt to be optimistic," Faith murmured back. Behind her, Anders placed a hand on her back reassuringly.

"Maybe she took another route to my house? I'm heading over there again. I'll continue to search for her in Lowtown."

Faith was already jotting down a message on a note. "Bodahn, please make sure Aveline gets this."

"Right. You might as well help your uncle with his search. I'll deliver this message and stay here with Sandal in case she returns," Bodahn said hurriedly, then left.

Faith turned to Anders, her heart pounding. He took her in his arms reassuringly, kissing the top of her head and massaging her back.

"We'll find her, love. I promise."

...

When they set out to search for Leandra, it was dark. Aveline, Varric, Isabela and Anders all went with her, worried out of their wits, but taking care not to show it.

They met Gamlen in one of the alleyways. He was talking to a boy. As Faith got closer she heard her uncle desperately asking the boy about her mother.

"What do I get for telling you?" The boy was saying.

Faith stepped in. "Here's a few silver. Now, what did you see?"

"This lady was helping this man, who was hurt. He told her that his house wasn't far, that he had potions there to cure himself. The lady agreed to help him get there. She was worried about him."

"Worried about him?" Faith asked.

"Like she knew him. Anyway...they left. In that direction." The boy pointed to an arch leading away from where they were standing.

"What did he look like?" Faith asked quickly.

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. Like a man. He had on some bloody robes, like he'd been hurt."

"I never thought I'd curse my mother's kindness," Faith sighed.

"There is some blood on the ground - where he fell. Maybe there's a trail and you could follow it," the boy offered helpfully.

"I'll go back home to see if Leandra is there," Gamlen said. "You try to follow the trail."

Faith approached what seemed to be a pool of blood on the stone floor. It was shining softly in the bright moonlight.

"I can sense some kind of magic in the blood, love. I think this man is a mage," Anders said softly behind her.

"It's still fresh!" She replied excitedly. "Maybe the boy is right and there _is_ a trail we can follow." Her eyes scanned the area, till she spotted two more drops of blood further down the alley. "Look! More blood over there! Thank the Maker!"

...

The trail led to a dark foundry, apparently abandoned. Faith remembered that this was the place where she had found the bones for Emeric, and the ring that belonged to one of the missing women years ago. Aveline, Varric and Isabela had been there before with her, and recognized the place.

Faith picked up the trail of blood drops on the floor. They were not attacked by anything this time around, thus enabling them to cover the ground more quickly. Soon they were standing next to what appeared to be some kind of trap door, leading into the depths of the foundry.

"This wasn't here before!" Faith said out loud, fear now making her voice shake. "Mother must be down there...with him!"

The rickety wooden stairs led them to a vast room. Faith quickly spotted a trap which she disarmed. Then they were attacked by shades and a fire demon.

They fought their way to another set of stairs that led down to a room, complete with a huge bed and bookcases full of books. In fact, there were books everywhere, even lying on the floor. Isabela picked up the nearest one and recognized that it was a book on necromancy. Faith found some pieces of paper scattered around that had writing on it, and when she read them, it sent a chill up her spine. The man was clearly talking about the other missing women. Each one of them had had something that he wanted. One of them had lovely fingers, the other lovely skin. When she turned to what looked like a mantelpiece against one of the walls, her eyes opened slightly in horror.

"That woman...in the painting...she...she almost looks like mother!" She gasped. "What _is_ this?"

"A shrine dedicated to a dead wife? A sister?" Anders said, softly caressing Faith's shoulder.

Faith brushed his arm off, turning away abruptly. "I need to find her! Now!"

At that moment, they were attacked by a horde of undead, followed by shades and abominations. They fought back and did not stop until they had won and their enemies lay at their feet.

They quietly followed her to another set of stairs. A man was standing beside a huge wooden chair, looking down at something. Faith couldn't see what it was, the figure on the chair had its back to them all. The man then spoke, as he slowly turned to face her.

"Ah, so you came. Your mother was sure you would come," he said smiling slowly.

"Mother always knew me best," Faith replied dryly.

"Yes. She spoke so highly of you. What a lovely lady," he took a few steps to where she was standing, a sly smile still plastered on his face.

"Where is she?" Faith asked through clenched teeth.

"I have touched the face of the Maker and lived," replied the man. "Your mother is now a part of something greater."

"You're crazy, I get it! Where is my mother?" Faith nearly screamed at him.

"Do you know what the strongest force in the universe is? Love. I pieced her together from memory. I found her eyes, her soft skin, her shoulders and delicate waist. And at last, her face. Oh, that beautiful, beautiful face!" The mage exclaimed, looking down at something sitting on the chair. He made a gesture with his hands, and something got up from the chair. "I have searched far and wide for you, beloved. And nothing on the face of this world will tear us apart!"

The figure that had gotten up now slowly turned to face Faith and her friends and with great difficulty started to walk towards them. Faith's eyes opened wide in horror as she recognized her mother. The mage raised his hands, and called forth a shield which quickly enveloped him; shades and undead sprang out of the ground, and all hell broke loose.

They fought for their lives. A desire demon came forth from the ground, and Faith pounced on it, while the rest dispatched the shades and undead. Abominations joined the fray. No sooner had Faith killed the desire demon when another one quickly took its place. The fight continued for what seemed like an eternity to Faith, the hordes kept coming, summoned by the mage, who was still enveloped in a protective shield. Faith now was fighting to get closer to him. She wanted to kill him badly, but had to wait for the stupid shield surrounding him to dissipate.

When the last of the desire demons had been dispatched and the undead lay dead for good this time at their feet, the shimmering shield dissolved and Faith pounced on the mage, performing a vendetta move, and instantly killing him. She smiled wickedly and turned in time to deal with the last skeleton, flinging a dagger into its soft skull. She quickly approached the thing, now lying on the ground to retrieve her dagger.

There was a shuffling sound behind her and she turned. Leandra, or what looked like her was slowly moving towards Faith. She was wearing what looked like a grayish, moldy wedding dress, with holes in it. Her head looked like it had been sewn to her body - her eyes looked dead. She moaned and fell into Faith's waiting arms.

"Mother!" Faith exclaimed as she caught her, then half-sat and knelt on the ground, holding her close. Leandra was now lying on the ground, her head on Faith's lap, smiling up at her proudly.

"I knew you'd come," she gasped, adoration in her eyes as she looked up at her.

"I wasn't fast enough! I tried to find you!" Faith exclaimed.

"My little girl. You've become so strong," Leandra whispered.

"I should have looked over you more, watched you more closely! Protected you!" Faith sobbed. The tears were now coming fast.

"Shh. Don't fret darling. Quentin - that man would have kept me here. But now I'm free. I get to see Carver, Bethany and your father again," Leandra smiled sweetly, then turned to Anders. "Take good care of her, Anders. Promise me you will never leave her. She only has you now..."

"I promise," Anders choked out, his eyes shining with unshed tears.

Leandra's eyes were once again on her daughter. "I love you. You've always made me so proud..." Her voice trailed off, and a last breath escaped her lips.

"There's...nothing I can do, love. His magic was keeping her alive," Anders murmured somewhere behind her.

But Faith did not hear, or acknowledge what he said. She held her mother closely and rocked her softly in her arms, sobbing and crying, until her eyes and face looked upwards and she screamed.

"Why? Why are you doing this to me? Why take away everything I love? Why?"

Nobody said anything. There were no words left, nor any answers to give.

...


	21. Losing Faith

_**I actually used a quest in the game that you do if you are pro-Templar, but changed it around a bit to suit the chapter. Difficult times ahead for our couple, I'm sorry to say. **_

_**Thank you SO much HyperPenguin and DarkChubb for your awesome reviews. I am so thrilled you are enjoying the fic! It is your reviews that keep me motivated and writing! :D **_

_**Thanks to my lovely beta, PheonRen as well. Please, if you haven't done so already, check her profile page and read her wonderful fics -I promise you won't be disappointed! :D **_

_**Bioware owns, I kid you not...lol.**_

Chapter 21 - Losing Faith

The days that followed were hazy and meaningless for Faith as preparations were made for her mother's funeral. She vaguely recalled having spoken to Gamlen, who had told her he would take care of everything. She didn't know what 'everything' meant at the time, as she had immediately sunken into depression. When the pyre was lit and her friends stood around, she hardly noticed, keeping her glassy eyes on the figure burning steadily in the middle of the fire.

Anders had not left her alone for one second. To his credit, he was trying his best to encourage her to eat and sleep, something that she hardly registered doing. In the end, he had to put her under a sleeping spell in order for her to get rest. Her friends turned up at the mansion from time to time, and each time turned away, sad to see that she had still not snapped out of her state of despair and pain.

Paws did not leave her side during this time, either. His big, soulful eyes were always alert and on the lookout for anything that would upset or harm her. He would sleep on the floor in front of her bed, nuzzle her softly whenever she woke up from her dreamless sleep at nights, and follow her around the estate whenever she walked around in a dream-like state.

Then one day, months after the terrible incident, she walked into the library, where Anders was writing away in one of his journals. One moment she was staring at him, loving him with all her heart and the next she was fiercely wanting to take her dagger and plunge it into his heart. The very thought of this made her come back to the present, and regard him intently. He felt her presence and turned around sharply to look at her.

"Love! I didn't hear you come in." He stood up and went to her side immediately, his right hand caressing her cheek for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

At that moment, two distinct thoughts were burning inside Faith's brain. The first one was that mages were dangerous, as a mage had killed her mother in the most horrible way; and the second, that she was in love with the person standing in front of her and this person _was_ a mage. Another thought swept away the two previous ones: If she loved him, she had to get away from him, for if he stayed by her side, something terrible would happen to him. Hadn't the worst happened to her father, Carver, Bethany and her mother?

"I - I feel different," she whispered.

Anders took her in her arms and held her close, thanking Andraste for her reaction, not knowing what was going through her mind at that very moment. "I thought I'd lost you for good, this time. I'm so relieved to see you are finally coming to, love," he murmured.

Faith pushed him away, looking up into his eyes. "Maybe the templars are right. Maybe all mages have to be controlled or made tranquil," she commented, ignoring the desire to hug him back and hold him close. She kept her voice low and saw the pain she was causing him with what she was saying.

"You're still in a lot of pain. I know you don't mean that. It's all right, love. If you want to blame anyone, blame me. I'm here for you. For whatever you need," he replied in a soft voice.

He made a move to take her in his arms again, but she pushed him away softly. "I want you to go. Leave. I don't want you to sleep here again," she said, her eyes on the floor.

A few minutes went by as Anders regarded her with disbelief written on his face. The silence was overbearing to her; she averted her eyes once again and chose to keep on staring at the floor, waiting patiently for his reaction.

"What?" Anders finally said, his voice gruff with emotion.

"You heard me. Please leave, now. I don't want you here."

"You can't be serious!"

"I assure you I have never been more serious about anything before than I am now," Faith replied, her voice devoid of emotion.

"May I ask why?" Anders asked, his voice shaking now. He was fighting to control himself and it looked like he would break soon.

"I cannot tell you why. I just don't want you near. If you love me, you'll do as I say," Faith replied, still averting her gaze.

Anders swallowed thickly. He stubbornly stood his ground, not moving for another few minutes, until she raised her eyes and looked at him. What he saw there made him reel back in surprise.

For in her eyes was something he could only describe as hate.

He felt the tears but stubbornly controlled himself, nodded curtly and turned around, walking down the hallway to the room they shared. He paused only to collect his clothes and journals and then he was gone.

He did not look back.

...

Enter Justice.

All the way to his clinic in Darktown, Justice was ever present, reminding him of the plight of the mages in Kirkwall and in the rest of Thedas. Anders remained silent and registered the thoughts, but did not do or say anything.

When he went to sleep on one of the cots in the clinic that night, he did so with a heavy heart, and tossed and turned before he finally drifted off.

And suddenly he was walking along in the Fade. The landscape was gray and bleary - the sky overcast with dark clouds and thunder could be heard in the distance. Up ahead he could see a figure sitting on a rocky cliff. As he neared the figure, he recognized it immediately.

It was Faith.

He quickened his pace, finally standing behind her. She was crying and in a lot of pain. He sat next to her and took her in his arms and it felt so good, so right...because she belonged there.

"I hate myself. I don't hate you. I hate myself. I'm scared Anders," she babbled. And he rocked her gently, and kissed the crown of her head, over and over again.

"Hush, love. I'm here," he crooned.

"You can't be here. You'll die. Get away!" She pushed him with such a force, he immediately let go, and he screamed as he felt himself go over the edge of the cliff, falling into the darkness below.

He woke up on the small cot of his clinic, bathed in sweat and breathing heavily. He suddenly remembered the words Flemeth had said to them years ago when Faith had placed the amulet on the altar and Merrill had performed the funeral rite on the top of the mountain.

_It is only when you fall that you learn whether you can fly..._

He knew what he had to do.

The next morning, he left the clinic and made his way over to the shack where the Mage Underground held their meetings.

Justice cheered him on all the way.

...

Weeks went by and suddenly one day, Varric arrived at the clinic. Anders smiled at him briefly as he finished healing one of his patients. He quickly gave the lady a bottle and said goodbye. Once she had left, he walked over to where Varric was standing.

"Hey Blondie. It's been a while since I last saw you. How are you holding up?" Varric asked kindly.

Anders gave him a small smile. "I get by, Varric. What brings you here?"

"I'm, uh...just passing through. Also, I have a job for you, if you're interested, that is..." Varric shuffled his foot, obviously embarrassed. He scratched his head and tried to grin, but only managed a weak smile.

"Oh. I see. And what might that be?" Anders asked, knowing full well that it had something to do with Faith.

"Well, um...there is a job that Faith has taken, helping a group of people and...well...we need a healer," Varric stammered, his face now flushed.

"She couldn't have come here to ask me herself?" Anders replied, crossing his arms as he regarded Varric, his eyes flashing momentarily with anger.

"Well, she doesn't really know I'm here, you see. I kind of came here on my own..." Varric retorted, looking uncomfortable. "We have this job around Sundermount. I think it's too dangerous for us, and...damn, she'd kill me if she knew I was here!"

"If that's true, don't you think she'll get upset if I join your group?" Anders asked, ignoring Justice, who was telling him sternly not to go anywhere.

"Well, funny you should say that. Um...I have an idea, Blondie. It might just actually work, too!" Varric smiled eagerly up at him.

Anders felt his lips twitching, and finally let his face relax into a smile. "Is that so? What idea?"

"Well, the idea is to not join us here, rather meet us there, as if you're on _other_ business in Sundermount. Then you just happen to run into us." Varric was grinning now.

"Other business? And just what _other_ business would take me to a mountain in the middle of nowhere?"

"Shit, Blondie! How should I know? You're a healer, right? Don't you need some herbs for your potions or something?" Varric said, looking a bit flustered.

Anders's face broke into a grin. "You know, I think you've actually come up with a brilliant idea, Varric."

"Thank Andraste and several others for that!" Varric exclaimed, visibly relieved.

...

The mission Faith had accepted was on the Chantry board, and the parchment had been written by the Knight Commander herself. It involved tracking down three apostates that had escaped from the Gallows and killing them. If she ever felt the tiniest of qualms in accepting it, she shook it off and focused all the pain she felt against the mages she had to apprehend.

The first of the apostates was rumored to have been spotted in Darktown. Faith felt a little uneasy as she walked along the alleyways in Darktown. It had been weeks since she had seen Anders, and the last thing she wanted was to meet him. Fortunately, they did not run into him.

When she finally located the runaway mage, called Jake the Black, he had put up a fight, so she concentrated on killing him off, Isabela and Varric helping at her side. It felt strange to fight without Anders beside her, but she refused to let her mind wander there, and instead devoted her time and energy to fighting the shades the mage had summoned.

Once the mage lay dead, Varric turned to her and smiled.

"Can I offer you a suggestion, Hawke?"

"Don't even go there, Varric," she replied quickly, knowing full well what he was about to suggest.

"The thing is that there are only three of us, and we might run into more opponents in Sundermount, so I wanted to -"

But Faith interrupted him abruptly. "I said no, Varric. And I meant it. If either of you are having second thoughts about coming with me, you are free to leave. I'll deal with this on my own if I have to." She walked away, and both Varric and Isabela looked at each other before following her out of Darktown.

...

Sundermount was unusually dark and overbearing. Faith peered up at the storm clouds and glared at them, daring them to throw lightning or pour rain down at her. They trudged up the mountainside, stopping to catch their breath along the way.

Faith took a long drink of water from her water skin, then put it away.

"I guess the storm will be upon us soon," she muttered darkly.

"If you're talking about the storm building up in the clouds, yes. Fairly soon," Isabela replied. Varric bit on his bottom lip to keep himself from smiling.

"What other storm would I be talking about?" Faith shot back, oblivious to what Isabela was implying. "Let's go. I want to get it over with before the rain comes down."

"Yes, we can all get drenched afterwards. If we live through it, that is," Isabela responded dryly.

Varric chuckled under his breath, but when Faith turned to glare at him, composed himself quickly. Neither of them spoke again as they followed her up the path.

Innley, the mage she was after, had made himself a makeshift shelter at the top of the mountain. He had been looking for something in the ground in front of his tent-like shelter when they arrived and quickly stood up to face them. "Halt! Who comes?" He called out, his staff held out in front of him.

"Are you Innley the mage?" Faith called out, but instantly recognized him from the group she had helped escape a few years ago from the clutches of Ser Karras. Faith felt her heart sink.

"Oh!" The mage cried relaxing as he strapped his staff behind his back. "I thought you might be templars looking for me. I remember you. You helped us escape. What brings you here?"

Faith said nothing, her hands automatically unsheathing her daggers, adopting an offensive pose as she stared at him. The mage blinked back, not comprehending her movements. Then, realizing what was happening, he bristled visibly and his eyes narrowed.

"Well! I never thought _you'd_ turn against us!" He cried out, channeling his magic. He brought out a small dagger and cut his palm, and Faith braced herself.

A rage demon materialized in front of Innley, while he enveloped himself in a shimmering protective shield. Several shades also made an appearance. Faith pounced, Isabela following suit, and Varric shot out a rain of arrows at the fiends.

...

Anders had been following as quietly as possible. He saw and heard Faith when she confronted the mage and could not believe it was the same woman he had fallen in love with.

_Traitor! She is a traitor! _

"Shut up, Justice," he growled as he saw the fight begin. Then he positioned himself behind one of the rocks as he unstrapped his staff, ready to join the fray.

He saw one of the abominations now summoned by the blood mage reach for Faith and he rushed out of his hiding place, flinging a winter's grasp spell at it, while he lithely ran closer to where they were. Faith's eyes widened slightly when she saw the abomination freeze in its tracks and looked around, but Anders was now hidden behind another rock and she did not spot him immediately. She finished the abomination off and jumped on to the shade nearest to her.

"Get the mage!" She called out to Isabela. "If you get him, he'll stop summoning the creatures!"

"I know that!" Isabela yelled back. "But he still has his shield up!"

"Fuck!" She screamed as another rage demon made its appearance. Suddenly, electricity formed over her head and shot around the battlefield, electrocuting the shades and abominations immediately. The rage demon was the only thing that remained, but it was Isabela who pounced on it, and managed to backstab it. Faith had finally caught a glimpse of Anders, who was now standing on the other side of the clearing. Her mouth dropped open.

At that moment, two things happened: the first was that the mage's shield evaporated and the second, a streak of lightning shot down from the sky, falling on a tree near the mage. The tree split in two and fell on top of the mage, killing him instantly - its branches caught Faith on its way down, knocking her to the ground.

Anders immediately ran to her side. At that moment, the rain came pouring down.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Faith demanded angrily as he turned her over gently to inspect her wounds. Thunder rolled up ahead and the lightning streaked around them, narrowly missing them.

"Are you hurt?" Anders called out above the howling wind and thunder.

"A branch in my side - I can't move..." Faith screamed above the noise.

Anders saw the blood before he saw her wound, and grimaced slightly. He quickly glanced at Faith, but she had fainted from the loss of blood. "Varric! Help me carry her to the cave over there, we need some shelter from the rain." Varric nodded and they slowly made their way against the rain and the wind into the cave.

"Well, I'm glad the storm brought you along," Isabela commented rather cheerfully as soon as they got inside the cave. Anders smiled as he worked on Faith's wound, while Varric gathered some wood that was lying near the entrance of the cave.

"I found some wood - and it's dry too. Looks like magey over there had the idea of living here first. I wonder what made him move out?" He said as he peered into the darkness ahead.

"Whatever it was, it might be deeper inside. If not, we'll have to fight it, too." Anders retorted, now looking inside his backpack for something. He brought out a blanket, which was wet, so he held out his hands focusing on a heat spell and warmed it. The blanket soon was dry and he stretched it out on the floor. Then he brought out another piece of cloth, which he soon dried, as well.

"Did you have to point that out, Blondie?" Varric replied. "And could you dry my things too?"

Anders grinned as he turned to Varric. "You'll have to wait your turn. First I'll dry Faith off and all her things. I have to make sure she is comfortable enough to rest. She's lost a lot of blood and I want to check and see if the branch punctured her lung."

"Poor Kitten," Isabela murmured behind him. "She sure is having a terrible streak of bad luck lately."

...


	22. Bittersweet Moments

_**A bit of fluff here and there, and some bitterness in between...The beginning of how they get back together, without really being together yet. Hehe! ;)**_

_**To HyperPenguin, don't worry, you'll see them together again. To Amondra, thank you so much for your review and adding my crazy fic to your favorites! To my lovely friend LadyCallia, thanks so much for your awesome reviews! Love you dearly! To Lorrain, yes, I totally get what you are saying, but I must confess I like mages, especially a certain blonde one! HAHA! And to my wonderful and lovely beta PheonRen, you rock! Thanks so much for your invaluable help! **_

_**I kid you not, Bioware owns everything *sobs***_

Chapter 22 - Bittersweet Moments

Faith's wound was deep and ugly. The branch had managed to pierce one of her lungs, after all. Anders worked all night on tending to the wound, slowly drawing on his magic to heal the inner wound as well as the gashes on her back and side. It rained all through the night while Faith moaned and wheezed but did not wake. Isabela and Varric silently sat in front of the fire Anders had started for them using some of the dry wood that Varric had collected. They both fell asleep on their bedrolls towards dawn, with the storm still howling around them.

After some time, Anders realized there was not much else to be done. He had healed the inner wound completely, and the gashes on her side and back were now angry red welts. He sighed and stretched, but remained seated beside her, watching her for any signs of discomfort or pain. As he watched her he realized how very much he still loved this woman, and shook his head slightly. He would not give up hope that she would eventually want him back in her life again.

_She does the templars' work. She will distract you from your goal. She will betray you, and when she does, I will take control..._

Anders did not react to Justice's comments, choosing instead to refrain from thinking about an answer, something he had gotten really good at the beginning of his romance with Faith. He smiled to himself and glanced towards the now-dying fire. Both Isabela and Varric were fast asleep, so he stood up and quietly went for more wood to get the fire going again. Once that was done, he sat down beside Faith and rummaged around his backpack for his bedroll. Stifling a yawn, he set it beside her and drifted off to sleep soon afterwards, a smile on his lips.

When he woke up a couple of hours later, it was to Faith's moaning. He propped himself up on an elbow and leaned forward - his face inches away from hers.

She looked beautiful, in spite of having lost so much blood. He felt himself getting aroused; the familiar desire coursing through his veins. Faith suddenly opened her eyes. For a minute, she smiled weakly at him and he felt elated as he smiled back, sitting up as he spoke. "Welcome back to the world of the living."

Her smile vanished and he wished he hadn't said a word. "What happened? What are you doing here? And," she glanced around the cavern. "where are we, for that matter?"

"Lightning hit a tree and nearly killed you. You were severely wounded by one of its heavy branches, as it punctured one of your lungs. I was collecting embrium in Sundermount when I saw you and decided to join the fray - gave me a reason to polish my offensive spells," he wise-cracked. "I don't know where the heck we are, but it's good to be somewhere dry, away from the raging storm going on outside."

She tried to sit up, but went even paler than before, and Anders found himself gently pushing her down. "Don't even try to sit up. Doctor's orders."

She tried to scoff at his last comment, but ended up coughing and wheezing.

"See? I warned you. A punctured lung, even if it has been mended, is not something to brush off lightly. We'll be staying here for a couple of days at the least, so you'd better get comfortable," he said in a matter-of-fact tone. She was glaring at him now, but silent, her violet-sapphire eyes on fire.

"I have things to do," she said icily, once her breathing came easier. "I need to leave."

"If you don't take it easy, you'll end up dead. How will you go about doing the things you have to do then?" He retorted smugly.

Her eyes flashed angrily at this, but she said nothing, merely glared at him for a few minutes.

"If looks could kill," he muttered under his breath.

"What?" She shot out at him.

"Nothing," he replied, now sitting up and looking for an extra blanket in his backpack. "I suggest you catch some sleep if you can. I imagine it will be morning soon, though it will be difficult to tell with this storm going on."

"Isabela and Varric?"

"Sleeping by the fire," he responded. Finding the blanket, he threw it over her, and proceeded to tuck her in neatly. Once he was done, he stole a look at her, and found out to his relief that she wasn't glaring at him anymore, but looking at him curiously.

"I'm sensing a question?" Anders smiled.

"I just don't understand how you just so 'happened' to be gathering herbs on Sundermount, that's all."

"Call it fate, if you will," Anders commented.

"A likely story," Faith muttered.

"Have a little _faith_." He stressed the word on purpose as one of his eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Now, get some sleep before I have to put a sleeping spell on you. And yes, that _is_ an order."

...

When Anders woke up a few hours later, he realized two things. One of them was that the storm had abated and it was now raining gently outside. The other had him surprised out of his wits. During the time when he and Faith had fallen asleep, she had somehow curled up to him and her head now lay on his chest. He broke into a sweat.

She smelled like Faith, and the smell was so sweetly tantalizing, he had trouble controlling himself. First of all he had to remind himself that she had been gravely injured. Secondly, they were not lovers any longer. His hand, that had been tracing patterns sleepily on her shoulder and back stopped what it was doing and he vainly looked for a way to gently move her back onto her bedroll, but stopped halfway through. In the first place, she was sleeping soundly and he could not bear to do anything to wake her. He knew rest was the best way she could finish healing properly. The other thing that stopped him from doing this was purely selfish. He _liked_ the feel of her head on his chest - her hand lying so close to his arousal that it was making him feel giddy.

She stirred lightly, and her hand inched forward, brushing his erection. The movement and her light touch caused the desire inside him to flare up even more than he thought possible, even though she had only brushed it and her hand was no longer in the vicinity of the area. He desperately tried to think about something else. The Chant of Light suddenly seemed like the best option and he mentally and mechanically started to recite it. He was doing fine, or so he thought, when Varric suddenly materialized out of nowhere - standing directly over them, and chuckled at the scene before him.

"Nice," Varric whispered, a huge grin plastered over his head.

"Shhh," Anders hissed at him. "You'll wake her up. She needs to rest."

"Yeah, sure. You keep telling yourself that," Varric smirked.

At that moment, Faith stirred and turned over on her side. Anders was finally able to sit up and he did so, glaring at Varric.

"What?" Varric whispered innocently.

Anders shook his head as he stood up, looking towards the fire that was dying away again. The rain was still coming down and the cave was cold, so he busied himself gathering more wood. Once he got the fire going, he turned to Varric. "That's the last of the wood, Varric. It's still raining outside and we need dry wood to keep it warm in here. Any suggestions?"

"Try snuggling up to Hawke again. I'm sure there'll be more than enough heat for the whole place," Varric chuckled.

"Ha, ha. Very funny."

"I do my best." Varric tilted his head. "I assume she needs more time to recuperate, correct?"

Anders nodded. "Two more days at the very least. A few more to be on the safe side. Did you pack food to come here?"

"Some, but not enough to last two more days," Varric grimaced. "What do we do when we run out of food?"

"Well, you can shoot arrows, can't you? There are animals around. If we can gather more wood, we'll have fire to cook them over. That's not the problem. The real problem will be making her stay still in one place and rest up properly."

"I thought you healed her?"

"The wound is internal. There is only so much that magic can do. In order for it to heal properly, she should not move for a few days," Anders replied his brow furrowed with worry. "If not, the wound will reopen and we'll have a serious problem on our hands."

Varric said nothing to this. Isabela was stirring, so he made his way to where she was lying, and proceeded to update her on the latest.

Anders turned back to Faith, his worry increasing. He knew how difficult being ill was for her, but the truth was that if she exerted herself, she would wind up dead. The thought chilled him to the bone and he shivered. Shaking his head, he walked to the entrance of the cave. The rain was falling much gentler now, and it looked like it would stop soon. One problem solved, then. Only about a million to go...

Isabela touched his shoulder gently and he turned sharply. "Varric has breakfast ready. Would you like some?"

He smiled and nodded, then made his way to the fire, where he sat and ate in silence, listening to their quiet banter, his eyes glancing towards Faith from time to time.

No matter what, he would keep her alive, even if it meant he had to restrain her physically to do it.

...

The day went by slowly. Isabela helped Faith through much of the day, when nature called and helped her change what she was wearing as well. It was fortunate for them that Faith always carried extra tunics and smalls in her bag. Her leather jerkin had been ruined, however; but Faith did not mind at all, as she had plenty of armor to wear back in the estate. Anders hovered around her most of the day and scanned her interior wound from time to time, relieved that it seemed to be all right for the moment.

The good news was that the sun had come out and had dried up the whole area. Varric had announced he would be doing some hunting the next day, the rest merely nodding listlessly in response.

Isabela managed to gather some more wood, and brought it into the cave, smiling at Faith who was wide awake, watching her every move. "You all right, Kitten? Need anything?"

Faith shook her head. Her eyes darted to Anders, who was whispering something to Varric. Isabela smiled to herself and sat next to her, waiting for her to speak.

"I still love him, you know," she finally whispered, her eyes dark with fear.

Isabela chuckled softly to this. "I don't understand why you make things so hard on yourself. He's right there, and worried sick about you. Why don't you kiss and make up and get it over with?"

"I might as well stick a knife in his heart," Faith whispered back sadly.

"What in Thedas do you mean by that?" Isabela shot back at her, a confused look on her face.

"Nothing. It helps to know that if he accompanies us from now on, he'll probably end up hating me anyway," Faith sighed.

"Well, that made even more sense, Kitten. I think you may have hit your head too hard when you fell," Isabela rolled her eyes as she stood up. "I'm going to see what Varric caught and help them get dinner going. If you need anything, just give me a call..."

As Isabela got closer and sat next to Varric, she listened to what they were talking about interestedly. "The thing is, Blondie, that the Dalish are camped on the other side of this mountain. I didn't know that we were so near and wouldn't have, if I hadn't gone out to hunt today. If we could just carry her down the mountain, we'd reach them in a day. They could help us out, and keep her rested, don't you think?"

"We could make a stretcher of sorts, from wood and a blanket, I think. That would make carrying her a lot easier," Anders said thoughtfully, his eyes absentmindedly on the rabbit roasting over the fire. He turned back to Varric and Isabela, smiling brightly now. "I think we'd manage just fine as a matter of fact."

"I'll help in any way I can," Isabela smiled back.

"We'll start working on it first thing tomorrow. I'll have to take breaks in order to hunt again, but I can whittle down wood fairly fast," Varric said cheerfully.

"Good to know we're properly organized at least," Anders smiled. "Fortunately our patient has been quiet and agreeable so far. If she keeps it up, she'll be out of danger soon."

Anders stood up and stretched. "Time to go check on her. Let me know when dinner is ready, and I'll take it to her this time," he smiled at Isabela who nodded back at him.

...

Two days later, they slowly made their way down the mountainside, Faith complaining and whining all the way, till Anders turned around abruptly and cast a sleeping spell on her.

"Way to go, Blondie," Varric huffed from his end of the make-shift stretcher, Isabela helping out, switching sides constantly. Anders did not reply, he was concentrating on reaching across the Veil for magic to help with the weight of the stretcher on Varric and Isabela's end, while he effortlessly carried his end. His one strength was his arms, and he was grateful for it. Swinging a staff really did do wonders for upper body strength as far as he was concerned and at a time like this he was extremely grateful that this was the case.

They reached the Dalish camp as the sun was setting, and Keeper Marethari quickly went over to meet them. "What has happened?" She inquired, a worried look on her face. They quickly explained the situation to her and she showed them the way to an empty aravel, which had lots of blankets and pillows inside. Anders smiled as his eyes scanned the whole place, grateful that Faith would finally be more comfortable and turned to thank Marethari, but she held up her hand smiling.

"She isn't only dear to you, but to us all. Come sit by our fire, eat something with us and warm yourselves. You will be sleeping outside her aravel. At least the weather is warm at nights."

...

They stayed at the Dalish camp for three days, until finally, one morning, Anders performed his routine scan on Faith and discovered that her inner wound had healed over completely. He smiled as he looked at her, and she found herself smiling back.

"You're healed. We could leave today, but I advise you to take it easy. We can leave first thing tomorrow," he said.

"Can I fight or do I have to continue to take it easy?" Faith asked.

"I suggest you continue taking it easy, and I know you don't like what I'm saying right now. You'll have to refrain from fighting for a week at least in order to be in tip-top shape. But I don't really have to tell you this. You'll notice it will be difficult to breathe when you start walking and doing things on your own."

Faith nodded slowly, biting her bottom lip with worry. Anders chuckled and she fixed her angry eyes on him. "Laugh all you want. It's not _you_ going through all this," she snarled.

"I'm sorry. I'm not laughing at that. It's just that you look so adorable when you do that," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

"Don't even go there," Faith said roughly, then turned her head to inspect the canvas on the other end of the aravel.

"I'm - sorry," Anders mumbled, standing up to leave. As he turned, her voice made him pause at the entrance.

"Thank you, Anders. You saved my life, and I'm eternally grateful to you. I just wanted you to know this," she said sweetly.

His heart fluttered in his chest, but he did not turn back to look at her, for if he did, he would end up taking her in his arms. He merely nodded his head and left the aravel quietly.

"How is the patient today?" Keeper Marethari greeted him as he emerged.

"She is much better, Keeper. I think we'll be leaving soon. Her wound has completely healed. If she takes it slow, she'll be fine."

"That is good to hear," Marethari bowed her head and a pleased smile graced her face. She quietly walked off to speak to some Dalish hunters, leaving Anders standing there, mulling over his thoughts.

Presently, he came to grips with whatever he was thinking and walked off to where Varric was oiling his crossbow. Varric stopped what he was doing and asked about Faith. Anders told him the good news and Varric grinned.

"I gather you'll be joining us when we go out on missions then?" Varric asked.

"I think I will. I don't want her getting hurt again, or over-exerting herself," Anders replied, trying to look nonchalant and failing. "Though I don't know if she'll have me."

"Oh, I'm thinking she'll ask you soon, Blondie. Trust me, these things have a way of working themselves out. And I don't necessarily mean you tagging along with us."

...


	23. Justice and Anders

_**My apologies for not having updated sooner, but I'm having some health issues. Hopefully will continue to feel a bit better to update more often! **_

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Chapter 23 - Justice and Anders

Anders locked the clinic behind him and walked the few feet that separated it from the hidden door to the Amell cellars. Making sure nobody saw him, he disappeared behind some wooden boards and into the darkness. He called forth a dim light to see the keyhole on the door, then produced a key from his pocket. The key turned and he heard the familiar click that told him the door had been unlocked. He entered, then turned, locking the door behind him. He looked down at the key for a moment, grateful that he had forgotten all about it when Faith had thrown him out of the estate a while back. Smiling softly to himself, he put the key back into his pocket and made his way through the cellars, then up the wooden stairs to the trapdoor he knew led to the estate.

He knew he should not be sneaking in to see her, but he had to check in on her. After what had happened recently, he just had to make sure that she was keeping her word and taking it easy on herself. The main room of the Hawke estate was eerily quiet; the sounds the flames made as they cackled in the fireplace made him turn his head to look at Paws, who whined at him from his place. He walked over and patted the hound on the head.

"You know I'm a cat person, but I do have a soft spot for you, old boy," he whispered and the mabari wagged its stump of a tail happily at this. Anders smiled and left him as he made his way up the stairs as quietly as he could, stopping outside the room he and Faith had once shared. His heart was thumping wildly in his chest.

When he opened the door, his eyes scanned the room and he found that she was sleeping soundly. He tiptoed to the bed, kneeling next to her warm, sleeping figure, a gentle smile on his face as he looked at her lovingly.

"If only you could tell me why, love." His whisper faded into the silence as he continued to watch her intently. He felt the pain again as his mind's eye relived the moment when she had thrown him out.

_You are back again, even though it is stupid of you to be here. _

"I can't keep away. I have to make sure she's safe. It would kill me to see her harmed in any way, and you know this."

_You need to focus on what must be done, not this mortal. _

"Shut it, Justice. I'm a man; I love and hurt. I know you can't understand this, but at least try. If you must, search Kristoff's memories. I know they are there somewhere."

_I keep them far; they bother me. _

Anders sighed, getting up from the floor. He made his way to the only chair in the room and dragged it close to the bed. Sitting down, he bowed and took his head in his hands.

_You must remember the cause we are fighting for. You must not waver. _

"You think I can forget it when you go on about it day and night?" The sarcasm in his voice was lost to Justice. Anders sighed again, and rubbed his temples vigorously. It was then that he saw her stir and he paused, waiting for her to wake up.

When her eyes fluttered open and gazed into his, he felt his heart rip to shreds inside him. Maker help him he was smitten and would forever love her.

"What are you doing here?" Faith asked. Anders could see she was not at all surprised to see him.

"Merely making sure you are taking it easy," he smiled.

Faith nodded slowly, then bit her lower lip. Anders's eyes flew immediately to her lips and he once again was flooded with a desire and passion for her burning so intently, he had to struggle to control himself.

"I am. I have trouble breathing when I speed up. Just like you said I would."

"I'm not glad to hear that, but I am glad it's making you slow down," he replied truthfully. A small smile graced her features and his heart did a somersault.

"Does this mean you are going to once again follow me everywhere?" the sarcasm in her voice dripping off each word.

"You know how much I love following you around," he teased. Faith rolled her eyes and he chuckled.

"Well, my only hope is that what I do in the future will make you hate me," she said, her voice harsh and cold. Faith wanted him gone so badly, she hoped that her future actions would drive him away. If that meant she had to arrest mages, even kill them...then she would.

"I will never hate you, Faith. No matter what you do. You know this."

Faith turned her head quietly, but when he saw the look in her eyes, his heart nearly stopped beating. They looked dead.

"Never say never, Anders."

...

A week later, Faith found and killed the last of the three mages on the Wounded Coast. Varric and Isabela were with her, as well as Anders. Anders had said nothing, but that was probably because the mage had been a blood mage.

Faith turned and left the Wounded Coast and went straight to the Gallows. Cullen met her at the entrance to the Templar Hall.

"Serah Hawke," he nodded, smiling at her.

"I have come to see Knight Commander Meredith. I took care of the three escaped mages."

"All three of them?" Cullen said, his voice full of awe for the small woman before him.

She nodded curtly and Cullen's eyes then caught sight of Anders, standing to the right of the group.

"Are you sure it's wise for you to go inside now?" He said, as he glanced at Anders once again.

"I am sure. Show me in, or move away. I'm going in, whether you allow it or not."

_She is taking us to the enemy! _

"I know, Justice."

_We must strike the enemy down! She must die for her crimes! _

"No, Justice. Now is not the time nor the place..."

_You are weak! And your former lover is baiting us! _

"I know, Justice. "

_I do not understand you, Anders. _

"You don't have to understand me. But you can try trusting me. I know why she is doing this."

Anders came back with a start, and saw Cullen holding out his arm, trying to keep Faith away from the entrance to the Templar Hall.

"Cullen, stop. Let us through," he said in a tired voice.

Faith turned to stare at him, her eyes wide with surprise. He smirked in spite of the seriousness of the situation. _Didn't expect that, did you, love? _

"Are you sure, Anders?" The alarm in Cullen's voice caused Anders to turn his head slightly; his eyes held Cullen's gaze firmly.

"I'm sure. Don't worry. Let us through."

Cullen sighed and nodded, his arm falling to his side. Faith composed herself and brushed by, not daring to turn to look at Anders again.

They stopped in front of Meredith's door and Justice stirred uncomfortably inside him. Anders warned him to stay low and once again asked him to trust him. Justice fell back in silence.

...

The Knight Commander was grateful in her own way. She knew that Faith had been responsible for a lot of things that went against the Templar Order, so she narrowed her eyes as Faith spoke. Suddenly, an idea came to her head, and a wolfish grin appeared on her face. Faith saw this, and stopped talking.

"Well, Serah Hawke. I know very well who you are and what you have done in the past. I also know that you might be able to help me with yet another small problem, to prove to me where your loyalties lie."

Faith felt anger starting at the pit of her stomach. She took a deep breath and suddenly the memory of her mother's death erased what she was going to say. The anger that filled her was suddenly directed at the mages, and not at the person in Templar armor standing in front of her.

"What is it you wish done?" She heard herself ask. Behind her, she heard Anders give a soft gasp and she felt her heart tighten in her chest.

"Do you remember the mages from Starkhaven you helped escape years ago?"

Faith nodded curtly, not trusting her voice enough to speak up. The tightness in her heart was choking her now.

"Well, we have been searching high and low for them for some time, but have not succeeded in getting our hands on them. They were last spotted in the vicinity of the Vimmark Mountains, but our men had to turn back because of the problems with the Qunari here in the city. Apprehend them and bring them back to the Gallows," Meredith finished, her arms crossed and her eyes sparkling wickedly as they regarded Faith.

Faith quickly quenched the hatred she felt for this woman and nodded woodenly. Turning to leave, she caught Anders's eyes and what she saw there made her heart twist in pain even more than it had. The sadness in them was unbearable.

_Hate me! Why won't you hate me? _

But amidst all the sadness in his eyes, she could still see his love for her burning through.

...

It took them a week to reach the Vimmark Mountains. They would have used the tunnels used years ago when trying to help the Saarebas Ketojan following the request of Petrice, who was now a mother in the Chantry; but the hovel where Petrice had been stationed was now occupied by someone else. They simply could not go barging inside and tell the poor people there that their little house had a secret tunnel which they needed to use.

During their journey to the mountains, Anders steered clear of Faith, but that did not stop him from keeping his eyes on her, hungrily following her every move. Every time Faith glanced in his direction, she would catch him looking at her. Likewise, when Anders was not looking, she would steal looks at him. Soon, both Varric and Isabela got annoyed at the whole thing.

"Look Blondie...Hawke. I swear by Andraste's tits that you two could start a fire with the looks you are giving each other. Why don't you just kiss and get it over with?" He complained to them one day.

Faith glared at Varric and Varric shrugged, while Isabela butted into the conversation.

"It's no use, Varric. They are both too stubborn to accept that what they are doing is killing us. But I'll bet you five silver that Hawke folds first."

"I beg your pardon?" Faith said icily, while Anders bit back a chuckle, his cheeks slightly flushed.

"Only five silver? What are you trying to do? Insult me?" Varric protested.

"Fine! Let's bet a sovereign then!" Isabela growled at Varric.

Anders finally let out a bark of a laugh, which won him a piercing stare from Faith. The laugh quickly turned into a cough, which eventually sputtered into silence. His eyes fixed on a rock protruding from the ground, but a smile played around the corners of his lips.

"Don't look so smug there, Blondie." Varric turned his attention to him, then turned back to Isabela, elbowing her. "I'll bet _you_ a sovereign that Blondie here folds first."

"Deal!" Isabela's voice sang out, and when they all glanced at Faith, they were pleased to discover she was grinning.

Anders felt his heart flutter, and deep inside him Justice just sighed deeply in exasperation at it all.

...

They found the group of mages, led by Grace, on the morning of the second day of their arrival to the mountains. Grace had turned to them with a puzzled expression on her face, but then she saw Faith unsheathe her daggers and her expression changed quickly to one of loathing.

"Surrender, and you won't get hurt," Faith called out to her.

"What is this? You let us go years ago and now you wish to bring us back? I knew we should have never trusted you!" Grace exclaimed.

"Where are the rest of the mages?" Faith asked, as she remembered there had been at least a dozen of them, and she was now only looking at five.

Grace said nothing. Faith's eyes quickly roamed over her and the rest of the mages. They looked pale and thin, some of them had dark circles under their eyes. One of them looked like she would drop dead on the spot.

Isabela disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to reappear behind Grace. She quickly pointed a dagger at her throat, while her other hand caught her arms at the wrists in a vise-like grip. "Tell the rest to stand down, sweet thing," she whispered lethally into her ear.

Grace knew that they didn't have a chance mainly because they were starving and exhausted. She drooped visibly and yelled at her companions to stand down, her voice devoid of inflection.

"I confess," Faith said as she bound Grace's hands tightly around her back, while Isabela quickly started to do the same with the others, "I did not think it would be this easy. Why didn't you fight?"

"We're starving. We have never lived in the wilderness, without the templars to look after us. Some of our companions died from the cold nights here in the mountains. We just want this to end," Grace whispered.

Faith felt the guilt pierce her gut and her heart sank. Truthfully, she could not stand to look Grace in the eye. They finished tying them up and began the walk back to Kirkwall silently.

All through the journey back, Faith did not dare to look at Anders. She felt bad enough already. What she did not know was that Anders was silently fighting Justice the whole way, trying desperately not to give in to him. What kept Justice from completely overpowering him was the fact that Grace and the rest of the mages would have been dead if they had not arrived when they did. Both Justice and Anders realized that even though they were going back to the circle, it would be useless to let them go free, as the poor mages would die for sure in the wilderness.

_They'll die or worse in the Gallows._

"Maybe. But I won't risk leaving them to die out here. They're half-dead already, Justice. I know that even you can see this."

Justice said nothing to this, and withdrew, leaving Anders alone for the rest of the journey - something that he was exceedingly grateful for.

...

Meredith could not believe it. The escaped mages were standing before her, all bound, and Faith Hawke was muttering something about the rest being dead, or lost in the wilderness.

"You have done well, Serah Hawke," Meredith said. She turned to one of the templars in the courtyard. "Take them away."

"Please see to it that they get a lot of food. They nearly starved out there, and while we did our best to feed them, we did not have much food with us," Faith said quietly.

"You worry about their fate?" Meredith smirked. "I'm amused. Don't you realize that if they could have, they would have killed you? They are monsters."

Faith felt the anger boiling in her veins. This time, she let it flow and took a step towards the Knight Commander, shaking visibly.

"The only monster in the room is you!" She said through clenched teeth. "I should never have helped you!"

Then, turning heel, she left the room, her companions right behind her, while Meredith's laughter followed them until they left the Templar Hall. Once out in the courtyard, Faith started to run.

_I see now why you love her. She is brave and might be what you need. _

"Not now, Justice!" Anders nearly yelled out loud as he sprinted after Faith, his heart racing in his chest.

...


	24. A Stroll Through The Fade

_**Thanks so much for the reviews: Darkchubb, LadyCallia, HyperPenguin, Amondra and Lorrain! They made my day! A huge thanks to all those who have put this fic in their favorites and who have added it to your alerts as well! :D **_

_**The moment you all have been waiting for! Yes! :D **_

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Chapter 24 - A Stroll Through The Fade

Anders caught up with her in the estate. He managed to grab her arm, and she whirled around to face him. The guilt and love she felt for him emanated in waves and he made a move to take her in his arms, but she pushed him away.

"Get away from me, Anders! I'm not worthy - I'm a monster! I can't even be true to the path I take..." she sobbed, tears running down her face.

"Why are you doing this to yourself, love? Why are you doing this to _us_? I am here for you, I will always love you. Please..." He managed to take her in his arms, but she held him back, struggling to get away. Anders felt the fire coursing through his veins - he wanted her badly. He needed her with all his heart, soul and body.

"You don't understand," she said, her voice a whisper.

"_I_ don't understand? _I_ don't understand?" He shot back, his voice getting louder. "You are talking to an abomination, a monster, and you say _I_ don't understand?" He shook her gently. "Are you even listening to yourself?"

"A mage killed mother and -"

"No. A madman killed her! Evil killed her!" Anders cried out, interrupting her.

"Everything I love dies! Father, Carver, Bethany, and mother! Everything! I can't risk you being close to me! Don't you see? You will end up dead as well, and when that happens," her chest heaved, as she was having trouble breathing, "when that happens, I will die as well. I cannot risk that. I love you too much..." She started to wheeze.

"My love, your lung...let me take you to your room. You need to rest," Anders said softly.

Faith could not answer him even if she tried, she was turning blue.

Anders panicked and let her go. He fumbled through the Veil wildly, gathering up the force for a rejuvenating spell that was so powerful when he cast it, it enveloped the both of them. Faith's color returned, but she fainted, and he caught her in his arms just in time. He carried her to her room and lay her gently on the bed. Then he loosened her buckles and belts, and gently took off her leather armor, until she lay on the bed only in her loose tunic and smalls. His pulse quickened, but he pushed all sexual thoughts away, and carefully tucked her in bed.

There was a knock on the door. Anders crossed the room and opened it. A worried Isabela stood there - Varric not far behind.

"She's unconscious now," he murmured. "She'll come to soon enough..."

"We heard most of it, Blondie. We were in the foyer," Varric whispered. "Is there anything we can do?"

Anders shook his head sadly and the three of them walked into the room. The minutes ticked by slowly and he suddenly remembered something. He turned to Isabela. "I have a special restoration potion I make for lung diseases and illnesses. The bottles are marked - I wrapped a piece of cloth around each - and on the far right side of the cabinet where I keep the rest of my potions. Could you go get them for me, Isabela?"

Isabela nodded and received the key to his clinic, then turned to leave, nearly bumping into Orana who had crept into the room silently.

"Is Mistress all right?" The elf girl asked timidly looking from Anders to Varric. "I can do whatever you want. I can make her some soup."

"Soup will be fine for when she wakes up, Orana, thanks," Anders smiled at her. Bodahn was standing behind Orana, wringing his hands. Orana left the room quietly.

"Poor Mistress Hawke. She is suffering so much nowadays. I hope you can stay, Master Anders. She needs you..." Bodahn said sadly.

"Oh, I'm staying Bodahn. Don't you worry. Have Sandal enchant this armor with a Resilience rune, please." Anders handed him the leather armor that Faith had been wearing. "As a matter of fact, when she wakes, I'll look through the rest of her things and gather them up for Sandal, so he can enchant them too."

"Of course, Master Anders," Bodahn said, as he hobbled away sadly.

Anders turned to Varric, his shoulders drooping visibly. "I'm not leaving her. Even if she wants me out of this house - she'll have to kill me to get me out of here."

"Glad to hear that, Blondie. Hawke will be needing you even more now. And...well. I shouldn't be bringing this up, but I managed to trace Bartrand's whereabouts. He's returned to Kirkwall."

"Are you certain it's him?"

"I think so. He bought an estate here in Hightown. It isn't very far from where the elf lives, as a matter of fact. I was going to ask Hawke to come with me, but this happened," Varric shook his head sadly.

"Bartrand is here?" Hawke called out from her bed weakly. Both Anders and Varric shared a look and walked closer to the bed.

"You should rest, love. I don't think - "

"Are you sure he's in that house, Varric?" Faith asked softly, interrupting Anders, who merely shook his head and sat on the chair near the bed.

"My contacts say he bought the place and he is, in fact, living there," Varric nodded.

Faith's eyes lit up with a wild, eerie light. "I think we should pay a visit to your dear brother, once I've fully recovered. It would be the neighborly thing to do, after all..."

"I agree," Varric smiled. "Bianca's been missing him something awful."

"Well, this confirms it," Anders sighed. "You _do_ have a death wish."

...

Anders stayed in the estate, and this time around, Faith said nothing. He caught some sleep in the armchair in her room at nights and rushed to the clinic to see his patients during the day. When she started showing signs of recovery, he moved into one of the guest rooms down the hall, but nearby. She still said nothing, but that was something to be expected, since she hardly spoke to him at all.

Faith started to practice with her daggers when she felt strong enough. Isabela came by and helped her and soon she was able to move around lithely without any shortness of breath on her part.

Two weeks after, she was fully recuperated. She sent a message to Varric and Isabela, inviting them to dinner. When they arrived, Anders was coming down the stairs and smiled at them in greeting.

"Hey Blondie," Varric responded waving at him. "So, who folded?"

"Nobody did. We're just friends Varric," Anders replied as he led them to the dining table.

"For now," Isabela said with a chuckle.

"I don't know, Isabela. She's made up her mind about this. You know what she's like..." Anders said slowly.

"What am I like, Anders?" Faith asked from the doorway.

Anders stopped in his tracks, but quickly composed himself. "Beautiful and extremely stubborn," he replied without missing a beat, stealing a twinkling glance at her.

Faith scoffed at this, but looked pleased with his answer; and Anders looked very smug as they all sat at the table waiting for Orana to serve dinner.

As they ate, they went over the details to 'visit' Bartrand. They would be going the following night. Faith and Isabela discussed movements and tactics while Varric listened and made suggestions. They were in high spirits when dinner was over, and all had some wine afterwards.

After a bottle and Faith getting drunk, Anders suggested she'd better get to bed. Varric and Isabela bade them both a good night and left the mansion.

Anders had to practically carry Faith to her room. Once there, she swooned into his arms. He picked her up and carried her to the bed.

"Well, love... I think it's safe to say you are the worst drinker in Kirkwall," he murmured as he gently tucked her in. His fingers brushed away a lock of hair that had fallen over her right eye and he looked down at her lovingly. Then, unable to contain himself any longer, he kissed her lips softly. When he broke away from the kiss, Faith began to snore.

Chuckling, he left the room and headed to the guest room where he slept. It was going to be a long day tomorrow and he needed all the rest he could get.

...

The mansion Bartrand had bought looked abandoned. Faith commented that he probably put the cobwebs up to discourage the tax collectors as they sneaked inside.

After fighting some guards that had bloodshot eyes and looked insane, they went into a room at the end of the hall full of dead bodies.

"Bartrand! What have you done!" Varric exclaimed in shock.

Truth was, everyone was speechless. The bodies were in various stages of decomposition, and Faith found herself gagging involuntarily. Needless to say, they all left the room in a hurry, running into an ambush. At least two dozen insane guards surrounded them, yelling melodramatically. Isabela and Faith vanished and reappeared to backstab two of them, while Varric let out a rain of arrows at them all. Anders cast a Tempest spell and the guards were electrocuted.

When they got to the main room, Faith spotted a couple of traps and disarmed them quickly. Several guards rushed down the stairs to attack them, but they soon dispatched them all.

"Well, I guess we should go upstairs to see what's around." Varric said. "If I know Bartrand, he'll be in the master bedroom."

They all walked slowly up the stairs. A short figure detached himself from the shadows. Faith unsheathed her weapons quickly, but Varric stopped her.

"Hold on. I know this man. He's Hugin, my brother's personal steward." Varric said, as he held out an arm to keep Faith from attacking. He took a few steps and stood in front of the dark-haired dwarf who was shaking from fear. "Hugin! What's happened here?"

"Varric! Praise the Ancestors it's you! I've been in hiding. I dare not walk around with those madmen patrolling the halls." Hugin shook his head sadly before continuing. "Your brother, Varric. He brought us here to sell the idol he got from the Deep Roads. But, that idol has driven him mad! He used to talk to it; he said it sang to him..."

"How did the guard get this way?" Faith asked.

"Bartrand, he...he fed them lyrium. He also cut pieces of the servants he killed and fed them to the guards. I'm scared, Varric. He's gone crazy!"

"Where is my brother now, Hugin?" Varric asked quietly.

"He's locked himself in the study, with the rest of the staff. Whatever you find in there, Varric, you have to stop it...before it's too late."

"What do you mean whatever I find?" Varric shot back.

"He's changed, Varric. He keeps screaming that he should never have sold the idol. He says he needs to hear the song again," Hugin replied.

"You said he sold the statue. Who did he sell it to?" Faith asked.

"I only know it was a woman. I'm sorry I can't be of more help..." Hugin's shoulders drooped.

"It's fine, Hugin. We've killed all the guards that were roaming the back hallways. The back door should be guard-free. Head to The Hanged Man. I'll meet you there later." Varric turned to Faith. "Let's go, Hawke. We need some answers from my brother."

...

The battle with Bartrand proved to be the hardest Faith had fought so far. The dwarf had an incredible amount of stamina, and his health regeneration was something she had never seen before. To top it all off, more insane guards appeared out of nowhere, and attacked them as well.

After they managed to kill the guards, they focused on Bartrand. He blended in so well, that he was difficult to spot. Suddenly, he vanished, and everyone looked around wildly. A moment later he reappeared behind Faith and sank his daggers into her back. Faith gave out a cry and dropped to the floor.

"No! Don't be dead please!" Anders nearly sobbed out, then flung a stonefist spell at Bartrand. The huge rocky fist caught the dwarf right in the chest and sent him flying backwards. Isabela took advantage of this and used a vendetta movement on him.

"Die bastard!" Anders yelled, flinging a Lightning spell at him this time. Bartrand jerked around, and fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Then he hit the ground unconscious.

Anders didn't care if Bartrand was alive or dead. He rushed to Faith's side, immediately applying a healing spell on her wounds.

...

Faith woke up in a lovely green field. The sky was cloudless and the sun was shining brightly. Lovely oak trees grew around the perimeter. She started to walk quite happily, as her eyes took in the loveliness around her. She walked slowly, for she knew that she had all the time in the world to explore this wonderful place. Presently, she made out a lone figure standing under some oak trees. There was something familiar about the figure, so she quickened her pace.

When she reached the figure, a hand flew to her mouth. Standing in front of her, dressed in the same robes he had been killed in, stood Malcolm Hawke.

"Father," Faith said, her voice trembling with emotion. "Is this true? Is it really you?"

Malcolm Hawke gave her a lopsided grin, much like the one he had always given her when he was alive.

"Yes. You're in the Fade, my Little Scoundrel."

She rushed into his waiting arms, the tears streaming down her face. Her father's reassuring arms were tightly around her, and she felt that there was nothing else she wanted more than this. "Father," she whispered. "I've missed you so much!"

Malcolm held his daughter at arm's length, while his violet eyes twinkled brightly. "And I have missed you, my darling girl. You know why you are here?"

Faith's brow furrowed in concentration for a few minutes. Suddenly it all came back to her. "I was hurt! Badly hurt. Am I dead?"

Malcolm smiled gently at her. "Not yet. But I must say, you certainly know how to tempt Death. Come. Sit with me. We have some things to talk about, and we haven't much time." He led her to the shade of one of the oak trees and sat on the grass. Faith sat next to him and he put a comforting arm around her.

"I never thought I would see you again," Faith sighed. "Can I stay here with you?"

"No, my dear child. It isn't your time yet. You have much to do," Malcolm replied.

"I can't do anything right, Father. I just did some horrible things. I don't want to go back," Faith protested, looking at her father sadly.

"You did do things I would never have liked, yes." Malcolm sighed. "You blame the mages and yourself for your mother's death. Your mother died at the hands of a madman, Faith. There was nothing you could have done to stop it. Surely you can understand that?"

Faith bowed her head. Tears came to her eyes and she began to cry quietly. "I understand, Father."

"You've always protected your sister and me from the Templars. Don't forget that mages have been persecuted for over a thousand years, love. We all need your help now. You must be strong."

"You sound like -" Faith stopped before she could say his name, and turned a sad gaze to her father.

"Anders needs you. You two are perfect for each other. Don't continue to push him away. He doesn't deserve it. Remember that the time you are living in, is a time of change. Certain sacrifices must be made. When war begins, many innocent people die. Andraste knew, yet she fought."

"Father, I'm so sorry," Faith sobbed. "I'm sorry for all the pain I caused."

"It's alright, Little Scoundrel. "Malcolm said gently. "You've been through a lot. Your mother is at peace now. That is what matters. She asked me to tell you that she loves you and is proud of you."

"Why isn't she here?" Faith asked softly.

"She couldn't come. This Fade scene I created only allowed one of us to come here. She wanted me to be the one to talk to you."

Faith nodded, a smile on her face. "I love you, father."

"And I love you with all my heart. You are never alone, my darling. Remember that all of us are always with you. I'm proud of you, Faith. Remember that."

The scene started to shimmer, and her father slowly started to fade away.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on a cold, hard stone floor. She opened her eyes, and found herself staring into a pair of warm brown eyes that were filled with fear. Faith gave a sob, and held up her arms while Anders gathered her to him; relief causing him to cry out.

"I love you Anders. I want you with me until the day we die. Please say you'll forgive me," Faith whispered into his ear.

Anders could hardly contain his happiness. "I have nothing to forgive, my love." He said as he broke their embrace. Then, he captured her parted lips in a gentle kiss.

"You owe me a sovereign, Varric," Isabela said in an audible whisper.

...


	25. The Tome of Koslun, Part 1

_**First of all, thanks to all my wonderful reviewers: HyperPenguin, DarkChubb and Amondra! Your reviews made my day! :D **_

_**Warning: Smut and smexy scene right after the chapter title! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 25 - The Tome of Koslun, Part 1

They stumbled into the room, kissing each other as they went, hands fumbling madly to get at buckles and belts, their heavy breathing interrupted occasionally by gasps and moans. Faith hit the bed pulling him to her, her fingers entwining themselves in his soft blonde hair. His tie flew out and landed somewhere on the floor. Anders pulled her tunic upwards, his hand trailing along her thighs, then her waist, making his way slowly to one of her breasts. Faith moaned, and his lips captured hers hungrily. Their tongues met and danced; their breathing got heavier.

Anders sat up and pulled her to him, his hands now working at the ties behind her back that held her breast band in place, while he trailed kisses along her right cheek. "Maker," he said in a strangled voice as her hand found his erection and massaged it over his smalls. His hands were still fumbling. "Andraste's flaming knickers!" He managed to pant out, frustrated at how difficult it was to get the laces. "_Why_ are you wearing _this_ breast band?"

Faith giggled into his ear as he leaned back to kiss her, and pulled the breast band down; then tugged at it roughly. A ripping sound was heard and Anders smiled into her mouth. "Mmm," he said as his hands now helped her tear it off. "if I had known I could do this, I would have done this ear-"

She cut him off with a hungry kiss. Her breasts were now free of their confinement, and Anders massaged them gently, before bending down and capturing one of her nipples in his mouth. Faith arched her back and gasped.

He lay her back on the bed and concentrated on licking and suckling each nipple thoroughly, as she arched her back, thrusting her hips at him. He held her down, and quickly moved his head down to her naval, kissing and licking along the way. When he reached her dark curls, she spread her legs open even further eagerly. Anders chuckled as he pressed his nose and mouth into her folds. Her scent surrounded him - the lust he felt was overpowering. He licked around her nub, while one of his fingers slid into her wet opening.

Faith was now screaming his name. Anders focused and reached into the Veil calling forth magic to heighten her pleasure. The soft electricity sparks made her come almost instantly. He lapped up her juices.

"Maker's breath, Faith! You. Taste. So. Good," he managed to say as he positioned himself above her, leaning forward to kiss her hungrily. She hummed into his mouth, tasting herself on him, while she dug her nails into his back. Her legs shot up and wrapped themselves around his waist.

"Please," she whispered, "please..."

He gave a growl and pushed inside her. Her hot tightness enveloped him and he had to stop all movement to keep himself from coming. He leaned forward, his head dipping down to the curve of her neck, as he bit and licked and kissed.

"Please," she whispered again. He kissed her to silence her cry as he pushed again, sheathing himself completely inside her.

He started to move, slowly at first, his breath coming in short gasps as he thrust in and out. She matched his movement immediately. Anders let out a groan. "Love - I can't -" But she had already reached her climax, her inner walls clenching his erection tightly. Anders let himself go with a cry as he thrust in deeply, his seed spurting into her with each thrust, collapsing on her when he was done.

They were both covered in sweat and breathing heavily. "I don't want us to get separated..." he whispered, "move with me, please." He pulled her to him as he turned on his side slowly, his penis still inside her - one of his hands at the nape of her neck, and the other on the small of her back. She sighed into his chest, and he kissed her gently.

"I love you," she whispered. Anders gave her a sidelong smile as he kissed her again.

"I love you more," he whispered back, his eyes half-closed as he stroked her hair and massaged her scalp. Their breathing gradually got back to normal. When they dozed off in each other's arms, they both had smiles on their faces.

...

Anders woke up a few hours later, shivering. The fire had died down and he carefully disentangled himself from Faith. She mumbled and turned. He quickly brought the sheet and blanket over her, then got out of bed to put some wood in the fireplace and light a fire. Once that was going, he shivered slightly before running back to the bed and covering himself with the sheet and blanket, spooning her.

"Why is it so cold?" Faith muttered sleepily.

"Fire was out. I took care of it," he whispered back, placing a kiss on the nape of her neck.

Faith sighed. After a few minutes of silence, she said, "That was amazing. I was such a fool to break up with you..."

"Ah. So it's the sex. I knew it," Anders quipped.

Faith giggled. "You know it is."

"You evil minx," Anders chuckled as his fingers played with her nipple.

"I'm hungry. Are you hungry?"

"Uh, oh. That means, 'Anders, please go to the kitchen and check the larder for leftovers.'"

"You know me so well," Faith purred, rubbing her back against him.

"If you continue doing that, I'll _never_ leave this bed."

She turned around abruptly to face him. "Don't tell me you aren't hungry. Whatever happened to the famous Grey Warden appetite?" She teased, batting her eyes up at him.

He laughed. "Point taken. Anything in particular you want to eat?"

"I can think of something, but that would require you staying right here," Faith said, grinning wickedly.

He burst out laughing. "Oh, make no mistake," he said once he managed to speak, "you'll get a lot of _that_ too, once we've eaten some _food_."

He gave her a quick kiss and got up, putting on his tunic, breeches and socks. "The things I have to do for the woman I love," he sighed in mock disappointment.

"Oh, could you check and see if there are any missives on the desk in the main hall too, darling?"

"Anything else, my lady?"

Faith giggled. "No, that will be all for now, Ser mage."

"I'll 'Ser mage' you when I get back," he retorted as he left the room.

...

"Oh," Faith said in a disappointed tone as she read one of the missives Anders had retrieved for her.

"What?" Anders said through a mouthful of bread, ham and cheese.

"I got a bloody missive from the Viscount," Faith said rather unhappily.

"Judging by the look on your face, he's either invited you to a ball, or asked you to do something for him." He finished off his third sandwich and happily prepared a fourth.

Faith stared at him, momentarily distracted by his unending hunger. "I wish I could eat as much as you, and not gain weight," she sighed.

"Trust me, you don't. It's very annoying when you don't have much to eat on most days," Anders responded, taking a large bite off the sandwich he'd just finished making. "So, what is it this time? A lovely ball with a room full of obnoxious nobles, I hope?"

"I'm not that lucky," Faith frowned. "It's his son, Seamus..." her voice trailed off.

Anders shook his head. "It's amazing how the Viscount wants you to do his job for him all the time. What's happened to his son this time? Last time he nearly eloped with a Qunari, if I recall correctly."

Faith giggled at his last comment, but her face grew serious again as she handed him the missive so that he could read it himself.

"Charming. No details? Just 'come to the keep. I need your help regarding my son?' Sounds fishy to me. Maybe he wants you to marry him or something," he grimaced.

"Jealous of Seamus? Really, Anders? He's just a boy!" Faith smiled.

"Love is terrible for a boy that age. Trust me. I should know."

"You told me you'd never fallen in love before. What an accomplished liar you are," she teased.

"True. But that doesn't mean I haven't had a crush on someone in the past. Alas, I kept getting away from the Circle, running towards freedom," Anders finished off his sandwich and drank some water.

"We'll go tomorrow." She glanced up to the only window of the room. It was still dark outside. "Well, we can still manage to catch some sleep. It isn't even dawn yet."

He smiled, moving closer to her. "Sleep? What's that?"

But Faith could not respond even if she wanted to, because Anders had caught her mouth hungrily in his own, his passionate kisses and caresses transporting her to the Golden City itself.

...

They slept until the afternoon, smiling at each other when they woke up. Anders stretched. "I wonder if we can have something to eat before we leave..." he said as he headed towards the bathroom.

Faith smiled as she watched him, her eyes trailing down to his buttocks. He closed the door behind him and she stretched then got up and put on her robe. Unlocking the door, she padded downstairs, where she petted Paws and asked Bodahn if there was anything edible in the house. Bodahn nodded, all smiles and asked her if they would be eating in the dining room. Faith nodded, smiling back at him. She turned to greet Orana, who smiled back, bowing slightly before she left for the kitchen.

Faith joined Anders in the tub when she returned. They bathed, and she resisted the urge to lure him to bed again, firmly swatting away his warm hands. "We have to get dressed and head to the keep, my love. No sex until we return.

Anders sighed heavily, his eyes twinkling all the while. They were dressed and eating ten minutes later. Varric and Isabela walked into the room. Varric was grumbling something about being robbed by a Rivaini pirate, and Isabela was looking pleased.

"You're just in time. We're about to go visit the Viscount," Faith announced as she stood up.

"Let me guess," Varric supplied. "He wants you to do his job again."

...

"It's my son, Seamus," the Viscount was speaking, almost mournfully. Faith resisted the impulse to yawn in his face. She hadn't gotten any sleep at all last night, thanks to Anders's Grey Warden stamina. The Viscount, however, seemed oblivious to the effect his words were having on her. "I remember how you helped him years ago, when he left with that Qunari. The life you saved is now squandered again. Seamus has left to join the Qunari."

Faith perked up at this. "He's joined the Qun?"

"Yes, Serah Hawke. I cannot let him do this. Can you imagine what people would say if they found out? Not to mention the people who oppose me! They would use this to their advantage."

Faith bit back a sigh of annoyance. "He is of age. I think he should be allowed to do what he wants, Your Excellency."

"I do understand his point of view. Truly I do!" The Viscount exclaimed. Faith doubted this was the case. "But I need you to convince him to return. You have a way with him, Serah. He would listen to you. I cannot let this be a reason for people to depose me. Please, Serah!"

"Here we go again," Anders whispered in her ear. Faith shot out an arm, hitting his chest. Anders let out a muffled groan and was silent.

The Viscount looked blandly in his direction and turned his hopeful gaze towards Faith. She sighed.

"I'll see what I can do," she mumbled.

She bowed her head slightly as the Viscount thanked her. Then, she turned to leave, glancing at Anders who was trying hard not to grin. Shaking her head, she walked out of the room, the rest following her closely.

...

"Really, Anders! You _can_ be annoying," Faith said as they made their way to the Docks.

"I know you love it, darling." Anders responded, moving closer to her. One of his arms went around her waist.

"She does love it," Isabela said. "Well, sorry to be a party pooper, but I'm afraid I can't go with you to see the arishok. I've other things to do right now."

Faith stopped dead in her tracks and turned to face Isabela, her eyes narrowed.

"Why is it that every time we go to the Qunari compound, you happen to 'have things to do', Isabela?"

"What? Don't be ridiculous!" Isabela replied quickly, her eyes wide with surprise. "I really have something to do! It's the relic. I found a lead, and I'm going to follow up on it to see if it's genuine!"

Faith sighed. "All right then. I'll let you know with Varric if anything happens."

"You can count on me, Hawke," Varric said smoothly.

Isabela frowned at Varric and stuck out her tongue at him, then disappeared.

They continued their walk, cutting through one of the less traveled alleyways. It was there that they were ambushed.

"Fantastic. I was wondering when someone would try to kill me again," Faith quipped.

...

The arishok looked grimmer than usual. Considering that he always looked terribly frightening, his present look sent off alarm bells for Faith.

"We're here about the Viscount's son," she said in a clear voice.

"Are you?" The Arishok merely said, then shook his head slowly, his frown getting worse by the minute. "In four years I have made no threat, and fanatics have lined up to hate us, simply because we exist. But despite all the lies and fear, bas still beg me to let them come to the Qun. They hunger for purpose. The son has made a choice. You will not deny him that."

"So, you're converting the viscount's son now? His opposition will have a field day," Faith deadpanned.

"And?" The Arishok asked. Clearly he didn't care much about politics. Truth be told, neither did Faith.

"The enemy of your enemy should be your friend?" Faith said raising an eyebrow.

"I don't fear the whole of them together, and it is not my role to reject the free choice of viddathari. The son responded to his own demand of the Qun. He is neither my slave or my prisoner," the Arishok stated, pausing for a few seconds. "He is not even here."

Faith's jaw dropped. The Arishok nodded. "He went to his father," he added. "Ask the Viscount why he would send you and a letter both."

"That probably could have been mentioned earlier." The annoyance in Faith's voice matched the look of anger that flashed momentarily in her eyes.

"They are meeting at the chantry. A last, pointless appeal, I assume." The Arishok sighed.

"The Viscount would involve the Chantry?" Anders mused.

"No. But we know who would." Faith said, struggling to keep her anger in check. "Mother Petrice."

The Arishok nodded. "A suspect in many things. "If she has threatened someone under my command again, there is only one response."

Faith took a deep breath, realizing things would get very ugly if that happened. "I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation. I just can't think of it right now," she quipped, trying to keep her tone light.

But the Arishok would have none of that. "Her intent is obvious, and what the Qun demands is clear," he practically growled. "This is the last insult I intend to suffer. Resolve this, Hawke, or her hiding place will be reduced to rubble. I will be watching, Hawke."

They turned and left silently walking up the stairs that led to Lowtown. "This is bad," Varric muttered.

"And the sun is already setting. Just what we need: A nighttime romp in the Chantry," Anders added.

...


	26. The Tome of Koslun, Part 2

_**Thanks so much for the fantastic reviews: HyperPenguin, DarkChubb and LadyCallia! :D **_

_**Nothing much to say beforehand here, except that I didn't like this part of the game a whole lot. Didn't tweak this though, it was better to let Isabela go and have her return IMO. Most of the dialog is from the game. Not very happy with this chapter. Meh...**_

_**As usual, Bioware owns everything...yadda, yadda, yadda. **_

Chapter 26 - The Tome of Koslun, Part 2

Seamus was dead. When Faith heard steps below her, she really wasn't surprised to see Mother Petrice with several people following her.

"Serah Hawke! What have you done? To slay the Viscount's son, here in the Chantry!" Petrice exclaimed in mock surprise. "A crime with no excuse!"

"Are you mad? Your plans have fallen to outright murder?" Faith yelled down at her.

"The people will believe me, not you. I have kept the fear of the Qunari fresh in every sermon, every prayer. When people learn of this attack, they will rise. Not zealots or the unknowing, but the true majority!"

"Great plan. Until people start to die on both sides in a war!" Faith screamed.

"To die untested would be the real crime. People need the opportunity to defend faith. Starting with you!" Petrice turned to the group to give them her orders.

Faith felt the anger take over her. Stupid woman with her Chantry this and Chantry that. She unsheathed her weapons. Well, she'll just have to 'Chantry' her...

When the mob attacked she was ready for them. Anders immediately cast a glyph of repulsion in front of Varric and himself, then cast a glyph of paralysis in front of Faith. Varric sent out a volley of arrows. Frustrated, Faith hacked her way through the mob only to see that Petrice had once again pulled a disappearing act. She nearly screamed in frustration when she realized this.

The mob lay dead at her feet, and she heard some steps on the staircase. The Grand Cleric was approaching them, led by a smug Petrice. Faith bit back a growl and her hands twitched on her daggers.

"You see, your Grace? A murder most foul in the Chantry!" Petrice was saying.

"It is like you said, young mother. All too well," the Grand Cleric began.

But Faith would have none of this. Seething in rage she took a step forward, pointing a finger directly at Petrice. "The 'young mother' arranged all of this. She sent a letter posing as the Viscount to Seamus Dumar, at the Qunari compound, begging him to come to the Chantry. I have the letter here. The Arishok gave it to me! See for yourself!"

The Grand Cleric's lips formed a straight line of disapproval as she took the parchment from her hands.

"Don't you dare spout your Qunari filth! This is the hand of the Divine!" Petrice screamed in rage.

"I have ears and eyes, Petrice. The Maker will have me use them." The Grand Cleric swept her eyes over the missive, shaking her head once she had finished reading it. She turned to Petrice who was breathing heavily. "Petrice?"

"Seamus Dumar was a Qunari convert! He could not be allowed to live!"

"You killed him so no one could follow him, right or wrong!" Faith snarled.

"I could not allow it! How many would follow him?" Petrice argued.

"As many as would want to, I suppose," Elthina said reasonably.

"They deny the Maker!" Petrice spat out.

"And you diminish Him, even as you speak His name. Andraste did _not_ volunteer for the flames," she shook her head. " That's enough out of you, Petrice," the Grand Cleric said firmly. She turned to Faith. "Serah Hawke, you act on behalf of the Viscount?"

Faith nodded to the Grand Cleric. She was still angry and trying to get a grip on herself. The Grand Cleric turned to Petrice. "The young mother has erred in her judgment. She will face a jury and will be sentenced. The Chantry respects the law and so must she." Then she turned away and slowly began to ascend the stairs leading to her rooms.

"Grand Cleric?" Petrice whispered after her, a look of utter disbelief on her face. "Grand Cleric?" She repeated the words, only louder this time. At that moment, Faith, Varric and Anders heard a whistling noise and an arrow embedded itself in Petrice's chest. She fell to her knees clutching at the arrow, a look of bewilderment on her face. Another arrow whistled past the team and landed in Petrice's forehead this time, and Petrice fell to the floor dead.

Faith turned to see a Qunari warrior strap a huge bow on his back. He stared back at Hawke for a few minutes before speaking. "We do not abandon those of the Qun. We look after our own." Then the Qunari disappeared into the darkness.

The Grand Cleric turned a sad gaze on Petrice's corpse, then directed her clear gaze at Faith.

"Please," she said in a soft, calm voice. "Send for Viscount Dumar."

...

When they left the Chantry, leaving behind a weeping Viscount, it was Anders who spoke first.

"An end of sorts. But the death of the Viscount's son in the Chantry won't fade from memory easily."

"Nobody got out of that looking good," Varric added. "What now, Hawke?"

"We wait for the Arishok's reaction. That's the only thing that worries me. The rest, well, fuck them all," responded Faith in her usual eloquent manner, eliciting a snort from Varric and a chuckle from Anders.

Varric said his goodbyes and Anders draped an arm over her shoulder. He smiled at her suggestively.

"I'll help you forget your worries. Doctor's orders," he smirked, bending his head and nipping her neck playfully.

"I like those orders," Faith purred. She kissed him passionately. Anders growled and pulled her closer, while she quickly slipped a hand between them both and massaged his erection through his breeches.

"You're going to kill me tonight, aren't you?" He said hoarsely. "But to die in the throes of passion...hmmm...what could be better?"

She giggled and pushed him away playfully, unlocking the front door and stepping into the foyer.

The angry voices coming from the main hall made them both stop in their tracks. Faith recognized the voices immediately. Aveline and Isabela. Maker's breath! They were always at each other's throats! Faith rushed into the room to stop the fight, Anders right behind her.

"Any good seats left?" Faith quipped, her voice loud and clear. Isabela froze, her hand laid back, palm up. She had been ready to strike Aveline when Faith appeared. Aveline stood in front of Isabela, her face an ugly red color, her hand on the hilt of her sword.

"Hawke!" Aveline said and moved towards her, relaxing her hand immediately. Isabela, in the meantime, quickly dropped her hand to her side. "I need your help. The Arishok has taken in two elven fugitives. I need to get him to release them into my custody. The Arishok _must_ respect our laws!"

"I'm going to die!" Isabela cried out dramatically. Both Faith and Aveline turned to her, their mouths agape. Behind them, Anders rolled his eyes. "There! _That_ got your attention!" Isabela added.

"I'm trying to keep the entire city from rioting against the Qunari! I'm stopping a war here!" Aveline snarled out to Isabela.

But Isabela ignored her, moving closer to Faith. "Remember the Relic? A man called Wall-Eyed Sam has it. If you don't help me get it, Castillon will kill me."

Faith's eyes fixed themselves onto Isabela's. She saw real fear in them and made a quick decision.

"We help Isabela first," she said hurriedly.

"Are you sure about this?" Aveline asked, shaking her head sadly.

"The relic issue has to be resolved before taking on the Qunari, Aveline."

"Fine. I'll be waiting at the Qunari Compound tomorrow, Hawke." Aveline said stiffly as she walked out of the estate.

"Come on. The exchange is happening in a foundry in Lowtown as we speak," Isabela said, walking off. Faith turned and her eyes caught Anders briefly. She lowered her gaze and moved to leave the room, but Anders caught her arm gently.

"Don't you worry, love. We have all night after we help Isabela get the relic," he whispered, his eyes twinkling.

...

They only stopped for a few moments at The Hanged Man to pick Varric up and continued to the foundry. When they reached the bottom of the stairs and Faith took a few steps closer to the arch that separated the industrial section of Kirkwall from the rest of Lowtown, she stopped to stare at the scene before her.

A group of about a dozen Qunari stood there, forming a circle and blocking their path.

"Hold!" The Commanding Qunari yelled out. "You will surrender the relic!" Faith's mouth parted open. What the heck was this all about? She started even more when Isabela's crisp voice reached her ears.

"I don't have your stupid relic."

"The bas has no honor. Kill them!" The Qunari replied. The Qunari attacked and Faith found herself dancing and leaping around madly from Qunari to Qunari to avoid having one of their spears stuck into her body.

When they were all lying dead on the ground, Faith spun around to face Isabela. "Let's just tell the Arishok we met his men and had to kill them because they farted, shall we?"

Isabela's face fell. "I - I should have told you everything earlier. I'm sorry."

"Told me what?" Faith asked, her narrowed eyes on Isabela.

"I've always known what the relic is, I just...didn't want to upset you," Isabela said in a meek voice.

"You're the picture of kindness, Rivaini," Varric growled behind Faith.

"The relic belongs to the Qunari. It's the Tome of Kossland, Kouland, Cousland, oh, whatever the name is. It's the reason why they're here in Kirkwall. They won't leave without it," Isabela supplied. "The Tevinter mages want it as insurance against the Qunari. They are probably in the building right now as we speak."

Her words made Faith's eyes open even wider than ever before. She stood there for a few minutes unable to utter a sound.

"Look, I didn't steal the book from the Qunari originally. I stole it from the Orlesians. Then I lost it in the storm when I was shipwrecked. The Qunari's ship was following mine, and firing their thunder at me. I've been through a lot of shit for that book. I'm not letting it get away."

"Maybe if we return it, it will help Aveline with her mess?" Faith asked as soon as she was able to speak.

"That mess is over a couple of elves. I need this book to survive. Castillon will kill me without it. Please, say you'll give it to me once we get it from Wall-Eyed Sam..." Isabela pleaded.

Faith's whole demeanor softened. Isabela was her friend. Her sister-in-arms. She had to help her get the book back.

"The relic is yours. Your life depends on it," Faith said resolutely, her violet-sapphire eyes fixed on Isabela's honey-brown ones.

"Really? It's nice to know someone is on my side for a change," Isabela said, her voice full of relief. "Come on, the book is in that foundry. I won't let it get away again."

...

As soon as they entered, they saw a man being confronted by a mage. Faith guessed that the man was Wall-Eyed Sam. The vast room was suddenly full of Qunari, demanding the book. The mage swore and shot a bolt at one of the Qunari, who was running towards her. In the commotion, Wall-Eyed Sam took the book and bolted, rushing past Faith, Isabela, Anders and Varric.

"He's getting away!" Isabela cried, sprinting into a run after Wall-Eyed Sam.

"Isabela!" Faith screamed. Then she turned to the scene before her. Her scream had alerted the Sten of the Qunari to notice her. Faith's eyes narrowed as the great leader prepared himself. All around her shouts of "Atash Qunari" were heard. Anders gave a snarl behind her, freezing the two mages in the room and then cast a glyph of repulsion in front of Varric and himself.

Faith pounced. She fought hard and hacked through everyone in the room. With the help of Anders and Varric, their attackers soon lay dead at their feet.

Faith's shoulders slumped. She was exhausted. Anders stepped behind her and massaged her shoulders, then cast a rejuvenating spell over her. She turned to smile up at him gratefully. He smiled back and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

Sheathing her daggers she left the foundry. Isabela was nowhere in sight. Faith sighed and bent down to loot the bodies, when she saw the body of Wall-Eyed Sam among the dead. A cold, discomforting sensation was creeping up her spine. If the thief was here, then why wasn't Isabela here with the relic?

Bending over, she saw a note pinned to the thief's body with a dagger. She recognized it as one of Isabela's smaller daggers. She ripped the note off, and started to read it with trembling hands. When she read it out loud, she was surprised that her voice was clear and steady.

_**Dear Hawke,**_

_**I have the relic, and I am gone. I'm sorry it has to be this way. You've been a loyal ally, but this is really best for us both. You promised me the relic, and I know you'll fight Castillon for me, but I don't want this. I've dragged you too far into this mess already. **_

_**You don't have to forgive me, but I hope you understand.**_

_**Isabela.**_

Nobody spoke for a few minutes. For Faith, it was as if the world she lived in, which had been spinning madly, had suddenly slowed to an eerie stop.

"She's gone then?" Anders's soft voice cut through her thoughts. "Can't say I blame her."

Faith turned to look at him and Varric. Anders's eyes were fixed on hers; his glance loving and reassuring. Varric, on the other hand, looked stunned. He was staring at nothing, his gaze bewildered and lost.

"I'm sorry, Varric. I can't believe it either," she murmured.

Varric came back with a start. He shook his head, as if clearing it from his previous thoughts. One of his hands went to his face, and his fingers pressed the bridge of his nose for a few seconds.

"Shit! Do I need a drink!" He exclaimed before walking off in the direction of The Hanged Man.

...

Faith and Anders made their way to their room at the estate. They had made sure a very drunk Varric was safely in bed before leaving him in his room at The Hanged Man before heading home themselves

"I'll draw a nice hot bath for you, love," Anders whispered. Faith nodded mechanically, sitting on the only chair in the room, her eyes fixed on the fire burning merrily in the fireplace before her. Her whole body ached and she couldn't get the words she had read in the note out of her mind.

"Love?" Anders said behind her. He was massaging her shoulders gently. It felt good. Faith leaned back and sighed. "The water is hot, just the way you like it."

Faith nodded but did not move. Anders pulled her up to her feet, and got her leather armor off, then finished taking off her smalls and breast band. He practically carried her to the tub. Once there, Faith moved to take the soap in her hands, but he shook his head as he stopped her.

"I'll be doing that tonight. You just relax, my love," Anders's said, his low voice soothing her greatly.

That night would always be special to Faith. The man she loved took care of her, of every inch of her body, without asking for anything in return. Lovingly he dried her once he was done, then slipped a white tunic over her head.

"I'll clean up here and then wash myself up. Can you make it to bed without my help, darling?" Anders asked lovingly.

Faith nodded, her eyes on the floor. She made her way to the huge bed and got under the sheets and blankets. Her eyes were fixed on the fire when Anders slipped under the sheets beside her. He pulled her to his chest and started to massage her scalp gently.

"I still can't believe this happened," Faith murmured.

"I know, love. I can't either, as a matter of fact."

"I'm going to miss her," Faith said quietly.

Anders did not reply to that. After a few minutes, he bent his head down and captured her lips in a gentle kiss. Faith responded to it hungrily, something that surprised him, but pleased him nonetheless.

"Make love to me, Anders."

He smiled into her lips, his hands already caressing her breasts and devoted himself to pleasuring her. His lady demanded something - he would give her what she wanted.

...


	27. The Champion of Kirkwall

_**First of all, thanks to all who have favorited this fic and have included it in their alerts! **_

_**To my super reviewers, HyperPenguin and DarkChubb: thanks so much for your spectacular reviews as well! **_

_**I tried to tie in characters in this chapter (well a character) from my other Dragon Age Revisited fic to this one, specifically Alyssa Cousland, who is now Queen of Ferelden, of course. Thing is, when that fic was written, nobody knew what Dragon Age 2 would be like, nor that Anders would leave the Wardens to travel to Kirkwall or anything. Heck, Dragon Age 2 didn't even exist! So there are a LOT of errors. The BIGGEST error of them all is the TIME. But as Bioware isn't too big on time itself, I'm sure you won't judge me too harshly, yes? Point is, there is a reason behind all this...**_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 27 - The Champion of Kirkwall

True to her word, Aveline had been waiting at the gates to the Qunari Compound. She had brought along a great number of guards, something that Faith didn't agree with. Wasn't this supposed to be capture a couple of elves and go? She hardly thought the need for so many guardsmen if that was the case.

When they stepped in front of the Qunari that was guarding the gates, he told Aveline that he would not allow so many to pass and Aveline was forced to go into the compound with only a small complement of the guard and Faith. Anders shook his head, something akin to fear in his eyes when he realized that Faith would be going inside the proverbial lion's den without him. Faith quickly landed a peck on his cheek and whispered it would be alright, then watched him and Varric turn to leave, her heart feeling heavy.

Within minutes, they were standing in front of the Arishok.

"Greetings Arishok," Aveline started to speak smoothly. "I come regarding the two elves you took in."

The Arishok frowned at Aveline, and turned his serious eyes on Faith instead.

"Irrelevant," he growled. "I would speak to Hawke about the relic."

"One of my former companions stole it," Faith snarled back at him. The Arishok gave her a ghost of a smile.

"Her part is clear. Your admission is welcome," the Arishok's voice rumbled.

"An issue for another time. We seek the elves. They are dangerous criminals and must be taken into custody to pay for their crime," Aveline demanded.

"The elves are now viddathari. Let us see what your 'dangerous criminals' have to say for themselves." The Arishok then turned to one of his men and spoke in Qunari. A moment later the two elves appeared. "Speak, Viddathari," he said to them.

"A city guard forced himself on our sister. We went to the guard to complain, but they chose to ignore us. We then decided to take the matter into our hands," one of the elves said angrily.

"Is this true, Aveline?" Faith turned abruptly to Aveline.

"There have been rumors of this, and I'll look into the matter, but that is no excuse. They took justice into their hands and ignored the law," Aveline replied stiffly, her eyes fixed on the Arishok.

"Sometimes, that is necessary," the Arishok said quietly.

"Like you did when you killed the person who killed the Viscount's son? I did not agree with that then and do not agree with this now," Aveline nearly shouted at the Arishok.

But the Arishok's steady gaze was on Faith, who returned his stare coolly.

"Tell me, Hawke. What would you do in my place?"

"I wouldn't turn them in. Why pass up a pair of perfectly good converts?" Faith quipped, earning a glare from Aveline. "What? I'm merely answering the question, Aveline..."

"Exactly so. I cannot remain blind to the dysfunction of the city nor can I release them to you. There is only one response to this," the Arishok said stepping closer to Aveline, his face a scowling mask.

"Arishok," Aveline said, lifting her hand and pointing an accusing finger at the Arishok. "There is no need to -" But the Arishok then raised his hand, palm up, commanding her to silence, his face now a mask of anger. He turned away, facing one of his soldiers. "Vinek kathas," he growled.

The Qunari attacked. Hawke and Aveline started to back away, defending themselves as they went. Aveline managed to dodge and deflect the spears thrown at them with her sword, while Faith landed a punch on a nearby Qunari. The guard that Aveline had brought with them soon lay dead at their feet, and they both stared at the bodies helplessly. Faith's stare turned to the Arishok, who was literally fuming from where he stood. She stood there for a few seconds, realizing finally that this attack was the beginning of a war against the Qunari. Her head was suddenly full of images of battling Qunari.

"Hawke!" Aveline cried out, bringing Faith back to the present just in time. Faith ducked around the corner, a spear narrowly missing her.

Once outside, they heard the unmistakable cries of people and clash of metal and armor in the distance. A war with the Qunari had begun.

...

They ran through the dark alleyways, bumping into Anders and Varric. Anders swept her into his arms, muttering "Thank the Maker" several times, then kissing her.

"No time for this," Aveline growled, and Anders let go of Faith, his eyes flashing momentarily with anger.

"Thank the Maker you're safe," Anders smiled at Faith, ignoring Aveline. "I thought they had gotten you. Darktown is flooded with people, trying to get away from all this."

"We'll need to head towards the keep to rally my men. Whatever we do, we must be careful," Aveline said.

Faith nodded at Aveline. "We're fighting back and probably will face death many times over before the night is done. I suggest we focus on teamwork, if we want to see the light of day. Aveline, charge their mages first. They have powerful electricity spells that can kill us outright. I can backstab them, if you knock them down or stun them first." Aveline nodded and Faith turned to Anders next.

"Anders, try to use a lot of cold spells. You know as well as I that the Qunari are weak to frost and cold, that is our best chance. If you freeze them with Winter's grasp or pour out a Cone of Cold on the ones nearest you, both Aveline and myself will finish them off." Anders nodded, winking at her afterwards. She turned to Varric with a smile on her face.

"Varric, Bianca will need to outshine this time. We're up against a powerful enemy."

"Say no more, Hawke. Bianca is ready and willing to kill the giants as we speak," he replied smoothly.

Faith nodded, her smile turning into a grin. "Right, here we go then. Anders, get your arcane shield up, and activate rock armor on yourself. Whatever you do, don't you dare die on me."

...

They fought their way to Lowtown, carefully avoiding the Qunari mages or Saarebas. Once in Lowtown, however, they literally ran into one of these powerful mages at the top of the stairs that led out of the docks. Faith made a beeline to it, Aveline charging with her shield held out in front of her. The Saarebas saw them coming and teleported, which infuriated Faith. The Qunari soldiers had appeared around the corner and were running towards them to attack. Aveline turned to focus on the soldiers, and the Saarebas reappeared behind Faith who caught the movement out of the corner of her eye.

Faith realized that it would be too late for Aveline to charge against the Qunari mage now, as she was already fighting two karasten soldiers. She quickly thought on a solution and spun around to face the mage.

Anders saw Faith move, and fear gripped his heart like a vise. He knew that look all too well. "Don't you dare, Faith!" He cried out, but in vain. Faith was already rushing headlong into the Saarebas, surprisingly knocking it over. Anders reached through the Veil and flung a stonefist at the fallen mage, while Faith bent over and performed an assassination move, severing the mage's head neatly. Anders sighed with relief, and his gaze then fell on two soldiers that were running towards Varric and himself. He flung a glyph of paralysis in front of them and saw Faith jumping on each in succession a mad grin on her face as she slashed into them.

The fight was soon over and Anders quickly ran around, healing Aveline's wounds, then rushed to Faith. There wasn't a cut or bruise on her, so he gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Next time you do that, I'll have to spank you when this is over with," he whispered hoarsely.

"Don't say that, or I'll be doing it more often," Faith replied coyly.

...

When they reached the small square in front of Gamlen's house, they saw a group of Grey Wardens fighting the Qunari and helped them out. After the Qunari were all slain, Faith turned to their leader, who turned out to be Stroud, and expressed her thanks.

"Stroud," Anders said, nodding at him. "It's actually good to see you here. I have a question for you, and would like a straight answer."

"This is about the Knight Commander, isn't it?" Stroud replied, his eyes narrowing briefly.

"That's just like you, replying to my question with another question. Ah, how I've missed the directness of the wardens," Anders said sarcastically.

"I was ordered to deliver the note. I knew what the note said, however. It merely said that if Meredith did not stay away from you, the Ferelden wardens would be risking their lives to defend you, and we would be joining them. I doubt Meredith would want the animosity of the wardens, don't you agree?"

"This is Alyssa's doing, isn't it?" Anders whispered, his eyes suddenly sad.

"The Commander of the Ferelden Wardens was the one who had written the note, yes. She has us vouching for you as well, for we owe her a couple of favors," Stroud nodded, then turned to Faith. "We must go. We have pressing matters elsewhere."

"You're just going to leave, just like that? We need your help here!" Faith exclaimed.

"I'm sorry, but even if we wanted to, we cannot get involved at this time," Stroud responded sadly. On an impulse he reached into his pocket and brought something out. "Here," he said, putting something into her hand. "This may help you out. I did not think the Qunari would unleash this attack on Kirkwall. We'll alert other cities along the way so they can come help you out."

Faith looked down at the ring that Stroud had just given her then looked back up into his dark eyes. She nodded silently at him, holding the ring tightly. Stroud turned to leave, his wardens following him silently, but before he disappeared turned to face her once again.

"Maker protect you and keep you safe, my friend," he said in a clear, strong voice.

Then he was gone.

...

They arrived in Hightown just as the sun's first rays peeked over the horizon, throwing everything around them in a glowing yellow-orange light. Upon reaching the market square, they fought with more Qunari, managing to kill a Saarebas before it flung its lethal electricity spell on them. Soon, the Sten commanding the soldiers went down as well, followed by the rest of the Qunari in the square.

Faith turned to grin at Anders, Aveline and Varric, but was suddenly flung to the floor. She lifted her head and quickly saw the rest of her companions on the stone floor as well, then looked around for the source of the spell. A Saarebas was striding quickly towards them. He stood over them, then extended his hands, calling forth a huge electricity spell to finish them off. Electrical bolts literally glowed from his palms as he focused and growled gathering the power.

Suddenly, the electrical bolts vanished, and the confused mage stared at his hands, unable to comprehend where all his power had gone to. Before he could react, Faith saw the pointy end of a sword emerge through his chest, and the mage stare down at it. Then, in one smooth movement, the person wielding the sword withdrew it and neatly sliced the mage's head off.

Once the Saarebas lay dead, Faith saw a hand come down to help her up and found herself staring into Meredith's cool eyes.

"Well, Serah Hawke. We meet again, it seems," Meredith said, smirking at her, then at the rest.

"It's good that we found you, Knight Commander," Aveline said hurriedly. "The Qunari have -"

"I know what they are doing. I've seen them taking the nobles to the keep. They have already taken control. We'll need to head that way fast," Meredith interrupted Aveline, turning her cold stare on Faith.

"Always happy to help in a life-threatening situation," Faith quipped.

"Good. Your skills will be sorely needed. Head to the keep. I'll try to find and rally more of my men," Meredith said, turning and walking away.

"Templars here, templars there," Anders sighed. "Bloody templars everywhere."

...

After fighting their way through, they found themselves in the square in front of Faith's estate, where a particularly difficult fight was taking place. Faith quickly directed their attention to the Saarebas, then rushed headlong into a Sten once he was dispatched. The soldiers kept appearing over and over, and Faith gritted her teeth and carried on automatically, as her stamina started to dwindle away.

Suddenly, she felt herself renewed and turned to Anders, who was grinning and gave her a wink. Thank the Maker for rejuvenating spells! Her eyes caught sight of the bodies lying on the stone floor, all mages. She felt a pang of sadness but quickly recovered, rushing over to help Aveline.

Once the Sten was dead, it was easier to kill of the remaining Qunari. Faith saw movement from the corner of her eye, and turned to find one of the mages had survived. She sighed with relief and called to Anders, who nodded and rushed to the fallen mage, applying a healing spell on him.

Faith was surprised to see that the fallen mage was an elf, as she hadn't seen many elven mages in Kirkwall and helped him to his feet.

"Many thanks, my friend," the mage murmured gratefully.

"First Enchanter, you survived!" Meredith called out as she approached the group.

"Disappointed, Knight Commander?" First Enchanter Orsino replied darkly.

"I merely find it hard to believe that you and your mages tried to stand against the Qunari," Meredith snarled back at him.

"You think we would not try to defend Kirkwall?" Orsino shot back.

"As I am doing now. I will fight to defend my city to the death," Meredith said hurriedly. "I will lead this group -"

"Control it, you mean!" Orsino interrupted, flushing angrily.

"Stop!" Faith said angrily. "We need to figure out a way to fight together, not be at each other's throats!"

"Then maybe you should be leading us," Orsino said quietly.

"What? She isn't even of this city!" Meredith protested.

"Neither am I, yet I did my best to defend it. I do not see you complaining about this, _Knight Commander_," Orsino quickly said, sneering at the title.

"Very well," Meredith said, as she turned to Faith. "What is your course of action?"

...

Faith, Anders, Aveline and Varric stood inside the keep, quietly staring down at the bodies before them. Orsino had caused a distraction to help them slip by unnoticed. Faith smiled a bit as she remembered the powerful fireballs he had thrown at the Qunari assembled at the entrance, killing them instantly. Orsino had remained behind with Meredith, fighting the remaining Qunari, giving the four of them the chance to enter the keep.

Faith's eyes quickly spotted a couple of traps on the stairs leading to the Viscount's throne room. She disarmed them and then rushed up to meet the group of Qunari that were running towards them to attack.

They dispatched the group rather quickly and entered the keep. The head of the Viscount lay at Faith's feet. The nobles were standing together to one side, visibly terrified at the giants. The Arishok had been yelling at them all, and now looked upon the arrival of Faith and her group with great interest.

"Hawke. I was expecting you," he said, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "Maraas toh ebra-shok. You alone are basalit-an." His gaze turned to the nobles, and he regarded them angrily before finally speaking to them.

"This is what respect looks like, bas! Some of you will never earn it!"

Faith shook her head, a look of disapproval on her face as she faced the Arishok. He chose to ignore it as he directed his gaze upon her once again.

"So, tell me, Hawke. You know that I cannot leave Kirkwall without the Tome of Koslun. How will you see this conflict resolved?"

There was a scuffle in the room leading to the throne room, and a groan. Faith turned a puzzled gaze towards the noise and her eyes widened with surprise at the figure who had appeared in the doorway and was now advancing purposefully to where they were standing.

"I believe I can answer that question," Isabela said, holding out the Tome of Koslun to the Arishok, a smile on her lips. Then she turned to a stunned Faith, "It took me a while to get back, what with all the fighting and all. You know how it is..."

Faith quickly pulled herself together. "Heroic acts of selflessness? What will people say?" She quipped.

"This is your bloody influence, Hawke. I was half-way to Ostwick before I knew I had to turn back. It's sickening," she sighed.

"The Tome of Koslun," the Arishok said reverently as he handed the book to one of his soldiers. "I am now free to return to Par Vollen." Faith gave a sigh of relief. Then the Arishok fixed his gaze on Isabela.

"With the thief," he added.

"Oh, no, no, no!" Aveline was the first to protest. "If anyone kicks her ass, it's me!"

"You have your book! She stays with us!" Faith shouted angrily.

"I'm sure he'll take that well, Hawke." Varric muttered. "Rivaini, you might want to move away."

"Then I challenge you to a duel, Hawke. With her as prize," the Arishok growled.

"No! If you are going to duel anyone, duel me!" Isabela shouted. Varric groaned behind her.

"You are not basalit-an," the Arishok said. "Well, Hawke? We duel to the death."

"I accept your challenge," Faith replied through clenched teeth.

"What?" Anders cried out, pulling her arm with such force, he managed to make her turn around to face him.

"Don't worry, love. It's going to be fine, you'll see."

"Why did I ever get involved with a person who has a death wish?" Anders sighed miserably. Faith patted his cheek and turned back to the Arishok.

"Let's dance," she grinned.

"Meravas!" the Arishok yelled, preparing himself.

Faith quickly ran to the end of the room. She knew exactly what to do and readied a tar bomb. The Arishok charged, and then quickly stopped as the tar bomb exploded over him, paralyzing him momentarily. Faith then performed a backstab and ran off. The Arishok ran after her. Faith threw a miasma bomb and he stopped. Faith jumped on him, this time performing an assassination move. She jumped out of the way and did a neat back flip, while he looked around for her wildly. He spotted her and charged. She stepped out of the way, and he rammed into the wall, his horns stuck in it.

As he struggled to free himself, Faith slashed away at him, exploiting his weaker points. He groaned in pain and she smiled when she saw he was nearly dead and bleeding profusely. The Arishok then managed to free himself and turned violently, his sword slashing through the air menacingly. Faith suddenly vanished, reappearing behind him, and struck the final blow, using a Vendetta move.

"One day, we shall return," the Arishok gasped before he died. The rest of the Qunari left the keep silently and the crowd erupted into loud cheers as Meredith, a group of templars and Orsino ran into the throne room.

"Is it over?" Meredith asked, her eyes spotting the Arishok's dead body on the ground shortly afterwards.

"It's over," Faith replied, a sigh of relief escaping her lips. The only thought in her mind right now was a nice hot bath and Anders, preferably in that order.

"The city has been saved!" One of the cheering nobles cried out.

Meredith strapped her greatsword behind her back, her face angry for a few moments. Then she stepped closer to Faith.

"Well done. It appears Kirkwall has a new Champion."

The crowd went wild, the cheering grew louder, and through it all, Faith's eyes met Anders's. Her gaze was happy, while his was full of adoration for her. He nodded and winked at her, a grin suddenly plastered over his face.

He'd have to give her a special 'love' treatment tonight.

...


	28. The Party

_**A heartfelt thank you to my awesome reviewers: LadyCallia, DarkChubb and HyperPenguin! You guys totally rock! **_

_**Sorry I took so long to update, but I've written a one-shot, three-chapter fic of Awakening Anders and Mahariel. The fic is AU and it is something that came to me while playing Awakening. It's called 'Dalish Tattoos', and it's on my profile. Take a look, read, review, favorite it, or ignore it! LOL **_

_**Back to business. This chapter has mature content at the beginning and is rather naughty. So you have been warned!**_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 28 - The Party

Anders and Faith did not get any sleep that night. Their celebration involved a candlelit dinner and wine-drinking. Anders didn't drink anymore, but he made an exception. Even though he did not get drunk because of Justice, the fact that his love was doing her best to pleasure him made him feel giddy as they fell back on the pillows after having made love to each other for the second time that night.

He was breathing heavily and propped himself on his elbow to get a better look at her. His eyes drank in her delicious curves and strayed to her face. He smiled crookedly and bent down to capture her lips with his own.

"Mmmm," she hummed into his mouth and while he did not think it was possible, for it was too soon, his penis sprang to life again.

He broke the kiss, trailing his lips down to her earlobe, where he sucked and bit, eliciting soft moans from her. One of her hands trailed down his chest and found his erection.

"Now I know what they say about Warden stamina is true," she whispered, smiling into his mouth as she kissed him again.

"Was there ever any doubt, love?" He murmured, massaging her breasts - one of his hands trailing down to the dark curls below her naval.

"Anders!" She cried out when he started to lick her nub. Suddenly, he stopped what he was doing. Looking up, he sat on the bed, a smile on his lips.

She half-sat up in bed, blinking at him confusedly. He chuckled at this and winked at her.

"I have an idea. Ready to try something else?" He whispered huskily.

"Oh, yes, you know me. Always ready for exciting things!"

"Turn over," he ordered.

She looked at him for a few seconds, then turned over, exposing her round ass up to him. He brought his hand down and caressed her cheeks, his erection throbbing while his breathing caught in his throat. "Maker's breath, Faith. You have such a beautiful arse," he murmured.

"I think it's all the jumping around, to be honest," Faith commented.

Anders did not reply. He was too entranced with her backside to even acknowledge what she had just said. Slipping his hands under her belly, he propped her up, so that she was on the bed on hands and knees. Then, his exploring fingers found her folds, and he started to massage her clit. She pushed herself onto his hand, squirming with pleasure.

"Hold still, love," he said breathlessly. While he wished he could push his penis through her small, puckered hole, he knew he would have to prepare her first - so he focused on her clit again instead, and positioned himself to enter her inner core.

She was obviously still wet, but the position they were in heightened the friction and the head of his penis grazed her sweet spot many times over, until she was pushing back to meet him, screaming out that she loved him.

He thrust into her picking up speed, his hands grasping her hips, till one of his hands reached down to her clit. He focused on sending off electric sparks and massaging her clit, while he continued to thrust into her, grunting and panting with pleasure.

Faith was now wailing, begging him for her release. He quickened his pace, the electricity shooting out of his fingers directly onto her nub. She clenched her inner walls, and he knew she was almost there.

He grunted and thrust into her deeply at the same time she came, her inner walls holding his erection tightly, as he reached his climax. "OH, Maker! Faith!" He yelled, collapsing on top of her. She fell onto the bed, taking him with her.

Anders quickly put a hand on each side to prop himself up, while gasping for breath. "Did I crush you?" He asked, in between gasps.

She shook her head. He carefully withdrew, and fell onto the bed beside her, still breathing heavily.

"Maker's breath, Anders! Why haven't we ever tried that position before? We've tried others out, but not this one!"

He smiled, letting out a half-chuckle. "I love this position, too. But there is more to it than what we've just done, love."

"More? What do you mean?" She said as she faced him, looking into his eyes curiously.

"Ah, well. If you must know, my penis can enter your lovely ass, too. It wants to, as a matter of fact," he quipped, raising one of his eyebrows to his hairline.

Faith's eyes widened. "But that hole is so small! Is that even possible?" She asked, realizing that Anders's thick penis would probably cause her some pain.

"You really think I would do anything to hurt you, love?" Anders asked, his eyes warm and loving. "I'd have to prepare you..."

Faith's expression changed to one of curiosity. Anders chuckled at this.

"What does the preparation involve then?" She smiled.

"Oil, my fingers, and a lot of patience and self-control in my case," he shot back at her, bending down to give her a quick peck on the lips.

"We'll have to wait till we get the oil then," Faith said.

Anders burst out laughing and pulled her to him, kissing her again. "Maker, love. You are one of a kind, you know?"

"Just don't let me go this time around. Bind me if you have to, to stop me from leaving you," she whispered.

"That's an idea!" Anders replied, his face adopting a dreamy look.

"You're going to bind me?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes. Then you can bind me. We'll take turns, see who drives the other crazy first," he chuckled.

"Who are you and what have you done to Anders?" Faith shot out at him.

He burst out laughing again. "It's me. All me, love. You're stuck with me, you know."

She smiled up at him coyly. "As long as you keep it up, I wouldn't dream of letting you go!"

"You know, we could run off somewhere, to celebrate that you're Champion. I'm a master of escape, really. Haven't done _that_ for a long time, though."

"How you could have settled in so well with me is a mystery, oh pursuer of freedom," Faith teased.

"It's old age, I'm afraid," he said feigning sadness, his eyes twinkling up a storm.

"Well, I'm flattered to even entertain the thought that you'd want to stay by my side for as long as we live, that's all..." she said softly.

He smiled at her tenderly, his arms enveloping her completely and gave a sigh of satisfaction.

They drifted off to sleep in each other's arms - the Champion of Kirkwall and her apostate, oblivious to the fact that the sun was already breaking through the darkness.

...

Faith organized a party with all her friends to celebrate her new title. Truth was, she didn't care much about titles, but she was feeling so good about beating the Qunari, and about her love life at the moment, that she wanted to have fun with her friends.

She spent several days planning the party with Anders. They both agreed there should be dancing on this occasion.

"I can't wait to show you my spicy shimmy!" Anders said cheerfully.

"What the heck is that?" Faith asked curiously.

"A dance, of course! I invented it. It's not difficult to do, if you're good at sex," his voice dropped several octaves and he leaned into her, kissing her neck then nipping it a little too sharply.

"Ow!" Faith cried, rubbing her neck. "Does it involve eating others?"

He chuckled and inspected her neck, making sure he had not hurt her.

"I'm impressed. You have a bruise where I nipped you," he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Anders!" She exclaimed then sighed. He applied some healing magic to her neck.

"There. The bruise is gone, love. It's like nothing ever happened."

She smiled affectionately at him. "I never said I didn't like it, though."

He laughed, then turned back to the papers on the desk where they had written their ideas down for the party.

"I think we should definitely include this game for their entertainment, love," he said pointing at one of their suggestions, written in Anders's neat handwriting.

"You say that because it is _your_ suggestion," she wrinkled her nose at him.

"The fact is that there are a lot of rooms in the mansion, and some of them are locked away. Don't you think it would be fun if all of us went hunting all over the estate?" He smiled.

The game was really quite simple: There were two parts to it. The first part involved a 'secret room' that had been boarded up for a long time, by one of Faith's long-lost ancestors. Whoever found this secret room would be rewarded with whatever was inside. What nobody knew, except for Anders and herself, was that there was no secret room, no long-lost relative who had boarded it up, and certainly nothing in any room that could even pass as a reward. So Anders came up with the idea that they should pick one of the rooms that had never been used. Inside they would place a small chest with some enchanted jewelry, which Anders would apply magic on to make the jewelry look old. The chest would be locked, so the second part of the quest would be to follow the clues in order to retrieve the key.

The estate had around forty rooms. They spent the afternoon looking for a remote room in the mansion, and came across a small room, that had never been cleaned and had cobwebs, the floor covered in thick dust.

"This is perfect," Faith said, her eyes sparkling.

"Except for the part where we leave our footprints on the floor because we have to place the chest in the middle of the room," said Anders thoughtfully.

"You're right." Faith's face fell.

"Ah, my love. Never underestimate the power of magic. I can cause a small dust storm to cover our tracks, don't you worry," he said, nuzzling her neck gently.

"Whatever would I do without you?" Faith beamed up at him.

They brought in a small golden chest. Inside they put in a couple of ruby amulets and two rings that already looked ancient, thanks to Anders's magic. The jewelry had also been enchanted by Sandal. They left the room and Anders turned at the door. After summoning a dust storm, he closed the door behind him. Bodahn got to work and boarded up the door to the room with Sandal, Anders, Orana and Faith's help. They were done really quickly. Next, Anders conjured up a thick layer of dust to hide the wooden boards from view. The dust would fall when someone touched it, revealing the boarded door underneath.

"You are so clever, love," Faith crooned. He nearly kissed her fully on the mouth, but Orana was already reduced to blushes every time she saw them together, this time not being an exception. Anders and Faith had spoken about this, and had arrived to the conclusion that she had probably heard the screams coming from their room whenever they made love. So he controlled himself, merely smiling at Faith, then followed her down the winding corridors to the main room.

The party was set for the following night. While Anders left to do some healing at his clinic, Faith ran around Kirkwall extending a personal invitation to all her friends.

She saw Isabela last on purpose. Isabela had kept away from her ever since she had dueled the Arishok. This time, however, she was at her usual spot next to the bartender at The Hanged Man.

"Isabela! I'm so glad to have finally run into you!" Faith exclaimed happily.

Isabela drained her glass, slamming it down on the counter. She sighed as she turned to face Faith.

"Whatever is the matter?" Faith inquired, gazing at her with a confused look on her face.

"Nothing, except for the fact that you shouldn't be here with me. You're the Champion now, and I'm just a lying, thieving snake," Isabela said bitterly.

Faith took a step closer to her friend. She put her hand on her shoulder. "Whatever you think you are, you're still my friend and I care about you. It must have been hard to give up the relic and I appreciate it. Whatever comes, I'm here for you."

Isabela sighed again, but this time she smiled at Faith. "Well. I do miss all the trouble we got ourselves into in the past. Tell you what, I'll be here if you need me."

"Then I suppose you'll agree to come over to my home tomorrow night?" Faith asked, her eyes twinkling.

"What's happening at your estate tomorrow night, Hawke?"

"There's to be a party. To celebrate. Anders suggested it really. There will be dancing and games, and oh! A lot of drinks. Alcoholic drinks," she chuckled.

"Oh, you know I wouldn't miss it for the world, Hawke! You're such a tease!" Isabela laughed.

"You'll need to dress up for this," Faith warned. "And hide your daggers if you must bring them."

"Of course, Hawke. The best party is when you can wear long dresses to hide your daggers," Isabela winked.

...

Faith arrived at the estate, carrying a number of parcels. Bodahn was nearly buried in them when he tried to help her. Anders was coming down the stairs and hurried over to help them.

"Maker's breath, Faith! Did you buy everything in the stores?" He exclaimed, a grin on his face.

"Nearly everything. Help me carry them up to our room, darling," she said. Anders complied, and soon found himself laden with packages. He could barely see where he was going.

"It would help for you to take a couple so I can _see_," he mumbled.

"Sorry darling. Here, let me take the two at the top. Can you somehow crane your neck now?" She giggled.

Anders gave her a glare as he slowly made his way up the stairs. He deposited most of the packages at the foot of their huge bed, then sat on the chair nearby as she opened the parcels excitedly. He smiled at her happiness, then was surprised when she thrust a parcel into his hands.

He looked down at it and blinked.

"What's this?" He asked, his throat dry.

"Well, open it, silly. You don't think I'm going to tell you and spoil all the fun, do you?" She teased.

Anders tore off the paper wrapping and stared down at a box which he opened slowly. What he saw inside made his eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

"I had them custom made for you. I hope you like them."

He was looking at silk dress robes, which were a beautiful dark blue color, with golden thread decorating the ends of the sleeves and the hem. The robes were very elegant and he could tell they had been enchanted. The material was soft and silky to the touch. His hand caressed the robes lightly, then he turned to look up at Faith, his eyes as round as saucers.

"I can tell these are expensive. Why did you have to go and spend money like that on me for?" He demanded, looking a bit shocked.

"Do you like them?" She asked excitedly.

"Like them? They're beautiful, Faith!" He exclaimed, running his hand back and forth over the robes, feeling the magic spring up at him.

"I had them enchanted. They are one hundred percent spirit and fire resistant. You can wear them out, no matter. I have another set for you in this parcel over here in case that happens," she pointed at a brown package on the floor. "I thought if we ever do some travelling somewhere fancy - like Orlais, you should have something nice to wear, you know? For parties and things. Mother says Father kept two sets of dress robes. Unfortunately, they were left behind in Ferelden," Faith babbled on as she searched through the packages for the dress she had bought.

Hands and arms enveloped her from behind, wrapping themselves around her waist, and a pair of lips gently kissed the curve of her neck.

"Thank you, love. I've never been given anything like this before. I truly like them and will wear them tonight proudly," he whispered hoarsely. Then he whirled her around to kiss her gently on the lips.

She broke the kiss, pushing him away gently, her eyes shining.

"Wait till you see the dress I got for myself! You like black, right?"

"I think black is very sexy on a woman, especially if that woman is you," he said hoarsely, his eyes burning with passion. He captured her lips again, then Faith stopped talking as he started to caress her buttocks, then her waist.

A few minutes later, the packages lay forgotten as Anders and Faith lay on the bed, making love to each other passionately.

...

Sebastian was the first to arrive, dressed in a fancy suit - a vast improvement from his shining armor, bringing some wine for the party. He was closely followed by Varric and Isabela, who was wearing a red dress that had a low cleavage - nothing new, since her normal attire revealed even more than the dress she was wearing could ever hope to. Varric was dressed in a pair of classy trousers, and a brocade white tunic.

Someone knocked on the door again, and Faith picked up her skirt and rushed towards it. Merrill stood at the door, wearing a flowery dress, that looked suspiciously like the robes she always wore.

"I hope you don't mind," Merrill babbled. "I just took my robes and sewed a pretty pattern I found in the market over them."

"They do look really pretty," Faith said earnestly as she waved her inside.

Aveline and Donnic arrived next. Aveline looked stunning in a long green dress, but Donnic was wearing his guard uniform, which had been polished until it shone. They walked into the room, Donnic's eyes fixed on Aveline's thin form as she talked to Faith animatedly. Faith knew it was just a matter of time before those two ended up together, so she had invited them both. Since they both lived at the barracks, they had agreed to come to the party together.

Fenris was the last to arrive, looking uncomfortable in trousers and a tunic Varric had given him. It had belonged to an elf who had left one of the rooms in The Hanged Man in a hurry. He was also wearing shoes, which had Faith giggling at the uncomfortable look he had on his face.

They were drinking and joking in the main hall, when there was a loud knock on the door. Faith turned to Anders curiously, and he shrugged as he looked at her. She walked to the door, followed closely by him and flung it open.

The figure standing there caused her to give a cry, and hug the person tightly.

"I can't believe it's you! Whatever are you doing here?" She said excitedly, as Anders pulled the person into a hug next.

"I couldn't resist coming over! I know what you have been through and I have wanted to visit for so long now."

Faith smiled at her cousin and pulled her inside.

"Everyone, I want you to meet my cousin Rilka. She lives in Tevinter, but has decided to come visit!"

...


	29. Not The Game

_**Thank you so much for your reviews: HyperPenguin, LadyCallia, Lorrain, and Amondra! They made me really happy as I like reviews as much as Isabela likes booty! LOLLLL! :P**_

_**This chapter was tons of fun to write, hopefully you'll love it as much as I do! A bit of levity, considering that the fic will get kind of dark as from the next chapter! **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I just fool around with the characters. ;) **_

Chapter 29 - Not The Game

Faith was beside herself with happiness. The only remaining member of her family was here, with her. She walked around with Rilka, her friends reacting positively y to her. Taking her by the arm a few minutes later, she took her backpack and led her to what would be her room.

"How long are you staying, cousin?" Faith asked as they stepped into the room.

"As long as you want me to, cousin," Rilka replied smiling affectionately at her. Faith's smile deepened as she gave her another hug.

"I can't believe you're really here! It's so good to see you!" She exclaimed.

Rilka smiled but a certain sadness soon crept over her face. "I wanted to come as soon as I heard my aunt had died. But I was in the middle of training, so I couldn't make it until now. I'm sorry, Faith."

"No matter! You're here now and that is what counts. We'll do some catching up later. I'll let you freshen up. You should come down as soon as you can! We're eating in a short, but there are games for later, and dancing of course!" Faith exclaimed happily.

Rilka nodded and smiled as Faith turned and left. She knew Kirkwall was teeming with Templars, but did not feel frightened. If she stayed out of their way like the last time, she wouldn't see them.

...

The talk had died down after they had eaten, so Faith cleared her throat to get everyone's attention.

"Anders and I have a surprise for all of you," she said in a clear voice.

"I'm already surprised if Anders prepared a surprise for us," Fenris quipped.

"Shut up, Fenris," Anders snapped. "Don't ruin the party for us, will you?"

"If you react that way, you're the only one here who will succeed in ruining it for all of us," Fenris calmly replied.

"Enough from the both of you," Faith snapped.

Anders shut his mouth and Fenris merely stole a glance at him but was otherwise silent.

Faith took a deep breath. "As you may or may not know. This estate is huge, and has a great number of rooms. The other day, Anders and I took the time to look at the rest of the rooms."

"Bored already?" Isabela teased, interrupting Faith.

"Good one," Varric mouthed back at her. Isabela beamed at him.

Faith ignored her, merely giving her a pointed look.

"The fact is that we had stumbled across a parchment, lying on the floor. I'll read it to all of you, so that you understand what I'm going on about."

She cleared her throat again and began to read in a sing-song voice.

"**I, Percival Amell, wish to record the recent events in the estate. There is a spirit trapped here. I managed to board up the door to the room where I encountered it, to contain it. I left a golden chest there with precious jewelry inside, in hopes of appeasing the spirit. I have heard nothing since; all is quiet. I carry the key to the chest, in case the servants should find it and steal the jewelry meant for the spirit.**"

Faith finished reading in a whisper. She let her eyes roam over everyone in the room and nearly burst out laughing. They all were leaning forward eagerly; Isabela looked like she was about to jump up and dance the remigold in pure joy.

"A secret, boarded-up room with a gold chest inside? Is this for real? Varric, pinch me!" Isabela exclaimed, then let out a yelp of pain when Varric did as he was told. She rubbed her arm and glared at the dwarf. "It was just a figure of speech, you idiot!"

"I simply acquiesced to your wishes, my lady," Varric replied in mock innocence.

"This is interesting!" Rilka said. "I suppose we're to start a hunt now?"

"Oh! I love this already! Are we to go all together?" Merrill clapped her hands excitedly.

"Maybe we can break off in pairs to hunt?" Aveline said thoughtfully.

Donnic smiled beside her. "I agree. I could accompany you, perhaps...er...Guard Captain?" He said shyly.

"Oh, please, Donnic. Don't be so formal. I'm sure everyone here knows we are a couple," Aveline chided, smiling up at him.

Donnic blushed and gave her a silly smile, and Aveline chuckled at this.

"Well, I think we should stick together. Just in case this 'spirit' decides to show," Isabela said. "Just saying..."

"Coward," Varric whispered.

"So not a coward!" Isabela said, looking slightly annoyed. "I just want to continue living, that's all!"

"I'll tell you what," Faith spoke up. "We can all go together, but whoever wants to go on the hunt alone or in pairs is welcome to!" Everyone agreed to this immediately. Faith turned to leave the room in the direction of the main staircase, but stopped suddenly. "Oh! Before I forget," she said, turning to face them again. "Whoever finds the chest, and manages to open it...gets whatever is inside."

Isabela thought she had died and gone to the Golden City. "Booty too? This party is getting to be the best party I've ever gone to! Point the way, Hawke!"

...

They walked along the corridors slowly.

"Maker's breath, Hawke. I never knew this estate was so big! Don't you two get lost in here?" Varric muttered loudly.

"We've never been this far inside," Faith lied smoothly. Beside her, Anders's squeezed her hand, and winked at her. She suppressed a smile.

Fenris, ever impatient, started to walk in front of the others, taking the lead. Merrill was lagging behind, lost in thought or pausing to examine a painting on the wall. Whenever she noticed that they had moved without her, she would give a cry and run to catch up with them.

Soon they came to a dusty corridor, which had some cobwebs on the walls.

"Ooooh," Isabela said. "This looks ancient! How long ago did your ancestor live, Faith?"

"We found some records in the library, now that you mention it. He lived a very long time ago, but only was mentioned in my family's records shortly before the rebellion against the Qunari in 8.05 Blessed. He helped during the rebellion, as a matter of fact."

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I see," Fenris chuckled.

Merrill had been standing looking at the wall directly opposite them with a strange expression on her face.

"Hawke, that part of the wall looks odd," she said slowly.

Everyone turned to gaze at the aforementioned wall with interest. Fenris walked right up to it, lifting his hands. As soon as he touched it, dust fell to the floor, billowing around them in small clouds.

Fenris sneezed, coughing disgustedly. Anders let out a bark of a laugh, obviously pleased that Fenris had gotten a mouth-full of dust.

"Look!" Isabela cried out, pointing at the wall.

"Incredible! I think we found the boarded-up room, Hawke!" Aveline cried out excitedly.

"We won't need anything to break through the wood," Fenris said, inspecting it closely. "The wood is rotten in some places, and the nails are worn and rusted."

"I can help you pull out the planks, Fenris," Aveline said stepping forward. Donnic also stepped forward and soon the three of them were yanking out pieces of wood, stopping only when they had succeeded in uncovering the door completely.

Fenris tried the latch, a click heard by them all. "Locked," he muttered, disappointed.

"Allow me, handsome," Isabela teased, winking at him before deftly picking the lock. She opened the door which creaked on its hinges.

"Nice touch," Faith whispered in Anders's ear.

"Not my doing," Anders whispered back. "That's just because it hasn't been opened in a long time."

They peered into the room, which was covered in dust. A single golden chest lay in the center of the room. Isabela gave a little cry and jumped clear across to where it was. She was the first to lay her hands on it. "Victory!" She cried, as she tried to open the lid.

The chest was locked. Isabela frowned, then focused on picking the lock, but the chest remained firmly shut.

"Blast! It needs the key, of course," she sighed.

"Well, now it gets interesting, doesn't it?" Faith giggled. "First one to get that key gets whatever is in the chest!"

They scrambled about, separating to get at the key, unsure of where to go next.

"I don't think it's in the room," Merrill announced thoughtfully. "When Hawke read that piece of paper, we all heard how he had it on him to keep the servants off the chest."

Isabela sighed. "This estate is HUGE, wherever shall we find it?"

Faith looked down at the paper she held in her hands. "Oh, I think I know. There is something else written on the parchment..."

"...**The key will be hidden somewhere in the depths. I will leave clues for my descendents in case they need what is in the chest, hopeful that the spirit has been vanquished long before they open it. If not, may the Maker have mercy on their souls, for the spirit will surely seek them out**," she read smoothly.

"In the depths?" Merrill frowned.

"I know! I know!" Isabela sang out. "And I'm not telling!" She sprinted into a run, leaving them behind.

"I'm not letting her get away. Come on!" Aveline muttered, breaking into a run herself. Donnic followed closely behind, while Varric ran just as fast, his little legs a blur. Fenris followed and Merrill was last. Anders and Faith burst out laughing when they had all gone.

"Having fun?" Anders smiled, his arms wrapping around her tightly.

"Of course I am! What about you?" She beamed up at him.

He nodded. "This is almost as good as my spicy shimmy dance," he chuckled, bending down to capture her lips.

"You realize you'll have to do the spicy shimmy for me in private after this, don't you?" Faith mumbled in between kisses.

"Of course," Anders smiled, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Come. Let's go see how far they've gotten, love."

...

The cellars were vast and dark. Anders knew his way around like the back of his hand, but the rest did not, and were slow to reach the first clue.

It was Isabela who spotted the piece of parchment in one of the cellars, wedged between two wine vats.

"Oooh! Clue!" She cried out, quickly retrieving it. "**Face west, do the rest**."

"Which way is west? Can't see a bloody thing in here!" Varric complained.

Merrill sprinted to her right, with Fenris, Aveline and Donnic following her, while Isabela headed to the left.

A cry from the next room alerted them to the fact that Merrill had found the next clue. They all ran inside and breathlessly heard Merrill rattle off the next clue.

"**The spot you seek is under the single crate. Do not tarry, lest you should be late**!"

Varric groaned. "There are literally hundreds of crates lying around!"

"Less complaining, more hunting!" Isabela shot back, already looking around. Fenris had found a torch, which he held in his hand.

"I can light that for you," Merrill sang, and directed a fire spell at the tip of the torch, which burst into flames. The torch came handy and enabled them to see clearly around the room they were in. Aveline quickly spotted a second torch, which she took to Fenris's, lighting it up as well.

They separated into two groups, like before. One took the right, the other took the left. They looked among a great deal of crates, all packed together in various places.

"We're doing this wrong," Merrill announced. "The parchment said 'a single crate' and we're looking through crates stacked together."

"That's clever, Merrill," Isabela said sounding impressed. She looked around. "Well, there aren't any single crates around here. Let's go farther in, see if we find any."

They all advanced into the depths, their torches illuminating the way.

Soon, Merrill's sharp, elven eyes made out a single crate at the far end of another room they had just entered. She ran lithely up to it and retrieved the piece of parchment before the rest had a chance to react.

"**Set the stone free to find the key**," read the last parchment.

"Is this a joke?" Varric demanded.

There were no stones whatsoever on the bare ground.

"Let's just keep looking. Maybe we'll find one," Sebastian smiled.

...

"I found it! I found it!" Isabela called out happily to the rest, while she danced on the spot. "I have the key! The chest is mine!"

The rest stood around, looking a bit dejected. Varric sighed, clearly disappointed that it wasn't he who had found the key.

Faith and Anders started laughing in unison. Everyone turned to look at them, confused looks on their faces.

"What are you two going on about?" Fenris said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. This only made them laugh harder. The rest gathered around them, waiting for their laughter to subside.

"We did all this...for you," Faith said after catching her breath.

"What do you mean?" Isabela asked. "There is nothing in the chest then?" The disappointment in her voice made Faith chuckle.

"Oh, yes. There is something in the chest all right. And you get to keep what is inside, Isabela," Faith replied, grinning at her friend.

"This was all a game?" Aveline asked.

"You aren't angry, are you?" Faith asked hurriedly.

"No! Of course not! I haven't been this entertained in a long time, Hawke. Thank you for this," Aveline said as she smiled brightly at Faith.

"It's good to laugh and be together without any broodiness or sourness around," Varric nodded.

"It was a splendid idea, Hawke," Fenris admitted.

"Anders came up with it all," Hawke said proudly, giving Anders a peck on the cheek.

"Oh, look!" Sebastian said, after opening the door behind him. "An armory!"

Aveline and Donnic went to the weapons rack immediately, and started to go through the swords and shields, while Sebastian inspected the bows. Merrill, however, had turned her attention to another door at the end of the room. She opened it. A dark passageway snaked ahead of her.

"This looks interesting!" She said loudly, advancing into the corridor. A stone door stood at the end.

"I've never been in this part of the cellar before," Anders said, eyeing the door with curiosity. "Shall we see what's on the other side?"

Faith opened the door and everyone stepped inside the room behind her. Anders stopped and tugged at her arm.

"There is something here!" He whispered urgently. "Something full of magic!"

"Is it the spirit?" Merrill asked excitedly. "Oh, I like this game!"

"There is no spirit, Merrill and this is _not_ the game!" Faith replied, her eyes narrowing.

A growl was heard around the room, and something dropped to the space on the floor in front of Faith, with a loud thud.

"Pride demon!" Anders hissed.

...

Fortunately for them all, Aveline, Donnic , Fenris and Sebastian had the weapons from the Armory down the corridor, while Faith and Isabela hurriedly whipped out the daggers they had concealed under their skirts. Anders, Rilka and Merrill stood in their places, behind the rest of the team, the three of them reaching into the Fade for spells.

"Another one dares disturb my slumber. You have not summoned me, but it is all the same to me," the Pride demon growled at Faith.

" Of course. Why wouldn't there be a horror underneath my estate?" She quipped.

"I am no horror. I am pride with reason. Face me, face everything!" The pride demon screamed, and launched itself towards Faith.

"Anders, Rilka, Merrill! Get your arcane shields up," Faith cried as she disappeared in a haze of smoke, only to reappear behind the demon backstabbing it instantly. The huge demon howled and turned to face her but Faith was already running away from it.

Isabela tried a twin fangs maneuver but it brushed her away, flinging her clear across the room. Anders quickly applied a healing spell and then turned to the demon, casting a Winter's grasp spell on it.

The icy cold that enveloped the demon stopped it long enough for Aveline and Donnic to hack into it, causing real damage this time, while Fenris gave his war cry and slashed it with the greatsword he had found previously. Varric and Sebastian shot arrows at it, which embedded themselves into the thick skin.

When the demon unfroze, Merrill cast a horror spell, causing it to squirm and cower. Faith performed a Vendetta maneuver, while Isabela, Fenris, Aveline and Donnic hacked away at it.

The demon recovered and summoned shades and undead to battle.

"Oh, great! I was starting to get bored!" Faith exclaimed.

Rilka quickly called forth a firestorm, and the rest jumped eagerly into the fray.

...

After they managed to kill the pride demon and its minions, the group trudged back into the main room of the estate, then made their way to the huge sitting room.

"You throw the most interesting parties, cousin. I'm impressed," Rilka said as she sank into a comfortable settee.

Bodhan and Orana appeared, carrying trays with glasses of wine on them. Each of them grabbed a glass and drank.

"That's the last time I'll ever go anywhere with you without a weapon," Fenris said in a monotone. "Even if it's your house."

"Since Bianca hates being left behind, I brought her with me. You loved the fight, didn't you, my sweet?" Varric cooed at the crossbow on his back.

"I still have to go retrieve the chest. Who's coming with me?" Isabela called out. Nobody replied. Isabela pouted and drained her glass before she left.

Anders had his arm around Faith's shoulders, and was stroking it absentmindedly. "Can't believe that was under your estate, love. You seem to attract danger, don't you?" He said in a low voice.

"Nobody was hurt, love." Faith replied sighing.

"I think it was a success, even though I'm dead tired," Sebastian remarked gaily.

"It was fun!" Merrill exclaimed cheerfully. The rest looked at Sebastian and Merrill as if they'd suddenly sprouted two heads.

Isabela returned carrying the small chest in one hand. "I'll open it in front of you all," she said as she put the key in the lock.

They all looked on interestedly, waiting for the contents to be revealed. Bodahn and Sandal came back into the room, with more wine.

"Ooooh! Gold jewelry!" Isabela cooed as she eyed the amulets and rings in the box.

"Enchantment!" Sandal cried out happily when he saw the jewelry.

Faith laughed. "Yes. The jewelry inside has all been enchanted by Sandal. This ring carries an enchantment against nature damage. This amulet against fire and frost. This other amulet, fire, frost and nature altogether. This other ring will grant the wearer more attack speed."

"This is a wonderful prize, indeed," Isabela beamed. "Thank you so much for this, Hawke.

...

_**A/N: Hmmm, yes. This last part is indeed the fight with the pride demon that you get in the game after you find the scrolls. I thought I'd have them find the pride demon FIRST...maybe, mmm, I don't know...because it was living UNDER Hawke's house? Honestly! I love the game, but sometimes these quests get thrown on us using no common sense at all... *rolls eyes***_


	30. Wardens, Kings and Queens

_**Thanks to all who continue to put this fic into their favorites and include it in their alerts! You guys rock! Also a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed: HyperPenguin, Darkchubb, LadyCallia, Lorrain, and darkkchylde! Thanks so much! :D **_

_**This is where is starts to get a little darker. There will still be some levity here and there: Anders's change is subtle at first. **_

_**As usual, I am using the three-year gap for other quests. When you start reading about the mission 'On the Loose' you'll know for sure that three years have passed!:D**_

_**I'm also tying in Dragon Age Revisited (my other fic, that deals with origins and focuses on Alistair/Alyssa), to this Dragon Age2 Revisited like I mentioned previously. It's vital to the overall plot of this fic for me to do this. **_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 30 - Wardens, Kings and Queens

Time went by, Rilka and Faith growing closer by the minute. Rilka knew she had to return to Tevinter to continue her studies in magic, but simply could not bring herself to leave.

Things slowly began to change in Kirkwall as well. With the Qunari gone, and nobody filling the Viscount shoes, Meredith stepped in. The Templars grew steadily more powerful under her reign. She squeezed the circle mages, but they continued to oppose her. The more she squeezed, the more they fought back.

This was when Anders started to change a bit as well. He got moodier, Justice bellowing at him to act. He started having new nightmares to add to his already existent warden ones and would wake up in bed often covered in a sheet of sweat, trembling as Faith held him close.

"I wish I could help you somehow," she said to him one night, kissing the crown of his head gently. He burrowed his face deeper into her chest, as if it would help him erase the images he had seen in his nightmare only moments earlier, then his face came up, regarding her sadly.

"I refuse to lose you to death or otherwise. I love you too much," he said, trembling slightly as the sweat cooled on his skin.

Faith pulled the covers up over his naked body and pushed him down gently onto the pillows.

"You will never lose me, darling," she said, her voice a whisper.

But Anders merely shivered again, putting his arms around her waist and drawing her close. He started to kiss her desperately, and his kisses soon had her begging for him to make love to her.

He complied, not only because his desire for her was growing more with each passing day, but because he wanted to shut out the terrible images in his brain.

Images that involved Faith with a noose around her neck, dying in the gallows.

...

One day Bodahn let her know that she had two letters that had arrived for her while she had been at the clinic, helping Anders with some sick Fereldan refugees.

She smiled at Bodahn and thanked him, walking to the desk. One of the letters held a crest she had never seen before on the back, the other one was from her friend Aveline. First she opened the letter from the unknown source.

"_Champion_

_I must see you at once. Meet me at the keep._

_Alistair, King of Ferelden_"

She frowned slightly, then opened Aveline's message at the same time Anders walked quietly into the room. She turned to him with a smile on her face.

"Look, Anders. Aveline wants to talk to me about Donnic! Now what do you think that is, I wonder?"

Anders gave her a chuckle as his hands slid around her waist.

"I can only imagine it involves something that begins with a 'w' and ends with a 'g'? They're taking long enough." His voice held none of the longing he was feeling, for Anders secretly wished there was a way for he and Faith to marry.

Unfortunately, he was an apostate and a fugitive who had long stopped running. He was sorry he hadn't been successful in finding and destroying his phylactery. That would have made things a whole lot easier, the dream to finally claim her as his completely attainable.

"Let's go see her!" Faith said happily. Anders smiled at her carefree, happy attitude and immediately nodded his head.

They met Isabela on their way out and started their journey up the steps that led to the keep while laughing at Isabela's jokes along the way.

When they opened the huge doors, the sound of someone yelling quickly called their attention to two figures at the bottom of the keep steps that led to the throne room. A man dressed in royal armor had his arms crossed and was looking at the other person, the Knight-Commander herself, with what Faith recognized as annoyance in his eyes.

Meredith's voice floated over to where they were standing, as Faith inched closer to the two figures.

"You've harbored three known apostates from the Free Marshes in your palace! What other answer did you expect from me, _Your Majesty_?" She sneered at the man, stressing the words at the end haughtily.

"A 'maybe' would have been nice," the man replied, his eyes now hardening as he regarded the woman in templar armor coolly.

"I do not deal in maybes," Meredith snapped back at him. "I deal in cold, hard facts. As should you. Perhaps when Ferelden next chooses a king, it will not choose one that favors mages so strongly, refusing his duty to the Maker."

With these words, Meredith whirled around and stormed out of the keep, brushing past Faith and her friends angrily.

King Alistair's eyes fell on the group before him. He glanced at the two women, recognizing Isabela with a smile, but when his eyes fell on Anders, he crossed the distance between them in two steps and quickly gave the mage a bear hug.

"Anders! It's great to see you!" Alistair laughed, the sound booming throughout the keep.

...

Faith could not have been more astonished if Anders had grown two heads. He knew the King of Ferelden? Not only that, but the king had just hugged him and they were both grinning at each other!

"I hope Alyssa is doing well, Your Majesty?" Anders asked through his smiles.

"That's Alistair to you, you rogue mage!" Alistair replied, chuckling. His eyes once again found Isabela's when she spoke up.

"So! You're a king now, that's something to brag about!" Isabela sang, her eyes appraising him hungrily.

"Isabela! Nice to see you. You look...er...fine!" Alistair stumbled over his words, sending Isabela into fits of laughter.

"Still the same blushing ex-templar, I see?" Isabela teased, her eyes twinkling.

"I didn't know you and the King of Ferelden were so friendly, Anders!" Faith said, pouting, and Anders grabbed her hand to pull her close.

"This must be the Champion of Kirkwall, Your Majesty," a blue-eyed man standing beside the king said.

"Ah! Right!" the king said, extending his hand to Faith and shaking it vigorously. "I'm Alistair. Uh...King of Ferelden. And this man beside me is Teagan, my uncle. Sort of..."

"I'm really Teagan, and only 'sort of' his uncle," Teagan smiled as he shook Faith's hand warmly.

"Anders and I know each other from the time when he was still among the wardens, isn't that right, old boy?"Alistair chuckled, his amber eyes warm.

"The Warden-Commander and he are married, Faith. She was the one who recruited me into the wardens at Amaranthine," Anders said, nodding to Alistair. "Well, she conscripted me, actually."

"That she did. Lucky for you I arrived at Vigil's keep in time to save your neck from that fool of a templar Rylock, if I recall correctly," Alistair grinned.

"All too well," Anders smiled, his hand moving automatically to his neck. "Thanks to you, I escaped death by hanging, and who knows what else before that."

"It was all Alyssa's doing. I obeyed, just like any good husband would," Alistair replied, feigning an innocent look that suddenly had Anders in stitches.

"You must forgive us, but Anders and I are good friends. You know how that goes," Alistair said in an aside to Faith.

Faith smiled from one to the other, happy to see Anders laughing so hard. After a few seconds, Anders's laughter died completely.

"She isn't Warden-Commander of Ferelden any longer, yet she still sent off a missive to Meredith, urging her to keep the templars off my back. Why?" Anders asked, curiosity written all over his face.

"She may not be Warden-Commander, but she is still regarded that way among the rest of the Fereldan wardens, and some others. An Orlesian Warden-Commander is not something that other Fereldan people want to acknowledge, unfortunately, especially with what is happening with Orlais these days." For a few minutes, Alistair shook his head, his countenance a bit more serious. Then, he lifted his eyes to Anders and once again smiled. "You know how much she values your friendship, Anders. As do I. It's the least she could do after all you've done for the both of us."

Faith knew better than to ask what that was and instead focused on the other piece of news she found interesting at that moment.

"Orlais? What's happening with Orlais?"

"Oh, assassination attempts, fancy parties with stinky cheeses. The usual," Alistair waved his hand, dismissing the question casually.

"You're more optimistic than I am," Teagan smiled beside him.

"Is there to be a war then?" Faith asked, sounding slightly alarmed.

"I hope not. Empress Celene is doing her best to stop that from her side, though," Alistair said thoughtfully.

"Well, we won't let them swoop down on us, will we, Your Majesty?" Teagan commented.

"Of course not!" Alistair exclaimed. "Swooping is bad."

Anders choked back a laugh. It was good to see that Alistair still retained his witty, charming personality. A part of him wished he was back at the palace, or even at Soldier's Peak...his eyes clouded over with something akin to worry. No. Not Soldier's Peak.

"I see the dark circles under your eyes threaten to reach past your cheeks now, my friend," Alistair's voice interrupted his thoughts, bringing him back to the present with a start. "You know we can help you stop the nightmares forever," he added in a soft voice.

"We don't have all day, Your Majesty. The queen is probably waiting for us back at the inn," Teagan said in a worried tone.

"Why were you and Meredith arguing?" Faith asked at that moment.

"Well, I was hoping for your help or influence in a matter, but Meredith beat me to the keep. Still, I'm not picky." Alistair sighed. "I don't agree with the way she or the Chantry think. This is why she was so angry."

"She said you harbored three mages who escaped the Circle here. It seems that you favor the mages?" Faith asked, smiling.

"I do, but unfortunately I can only deal with mages outside of the circle," Alistair sighed.

"You said you hoped for my help. What do you want me to do?" Faith asked.

"It's a little late for that, seeing how Meredith emasculated me so warmly a few moments ago," Alistair responded. "However, I would like you to help Kirkwall. The Free Marches need you, Champion. Now more than ever."

"Help Kirkwall? How so?" Faith asked.

"You tell me. Kirkwall's biggest threat just walked out that door," Alistair shrugged. "Just keep the city from danger the best you can."

"Just me between Kirkwall and danger? That should be fun!" Faith quipped.

"I've been there," Alistair replied a bit mournfully. "Trust me, it will get no better." He turned to Anders. "We'd love to see you. Talk to you, maybe now, if you're not too busy? Alyssa would kill me if she knew I'd met you and didn't bring you back to the inn with me."

Anders turned to look at Faith, a question in his eyes. Faith chuckled and nodded. He bent down to give her a peck on the cheek, before turning to Alistair, his eyes shining with happiness.

"Ah! Anders in love? Now that's something I had not thought I would see anytime soon!" Alistair joked. He turned to Faith and bowed slightly. "It was a pleasure. We'll try not to keep him for too long!"

With those words, Alistair and Teagan turned to leave the keep, with Anders following closely behind.

...

It turned out that Aveline had some exciting news for Faith just as Anders had guessed. She flashed Faith an engagement ring and hugged her happily when Faith let out a cry of happiness. Isabela stayed for a few minutes as they chatted about the wedding excitedly, then got bored quickly. She quickly said she had to check up on a new pair of daggers she had seen in the market and left the two to continue chatting about the engagement and future wedding.

The two friends talked through lunch at the barracks, then continued to talk well into the late afternoon. Faith finally convinced Aveline to let her plan the entire wedding, as well as a party afterwards in her estate. They finally said goodbye to each other and Faith left, hoping to arrive at the estate before Anders did.

She needn't have worried, however. Anders hadn't arrived yet, and Bodahn asked her if she wanted dinner to be served or if they should wait for Master Anders. Faith told him to wait while she took a bath and asked for some hot water to be brought to the huge tub in her room. Rilka was in the library reading, so she chatted to her cousin briefly and then told her the exciting news about Aveline and Donnic.

Faith said goodbye to her as soon as Bodahn peeked into the library to let her know her bath was ready.

Anders still had not arrived by the time she finished bathing, got dressed and made her way down the stairs. She told Bodahn to go ahead and tell Orana to serve dinner and went to get her cousin.

...

It was late when Anders arrived at the estate. He locked the door behind him and walked wearily up the stairs. Carefully opening the door quietly, he stepped into their room, only to find Faith fully awake and clearly waiting for him.

"I'm really sorry I couldn't come home sooner, love. We talked for a long time and they invited me to have dinner with them," Anders said contritely as he sat on the bed, after kissing her forehead softly.

"It's fine, my love!" Faith said in a low voice. "You must be exhausted. I have a tub full of water for you, you only have to heat it up."

"Thank you so much, sweetheart. That sounds wonderful right now," he smiled, then got up and headed towards the bathroom. "I didn't know you'd wait up for me, otherwise I'd have done my best to return sooner," he called from the bathroom.

Faith heard him undress and a splash as he got into the tub. "Just finish your bath, we can talk when you come back here," she called.

...

"So," Faith started as soon as Anders had settled into bed beside her. "Alyssa, the Queen of Ferelden was your Warden-Commander when you were in Amaranthine?"

Anders sighed and propped himself on an elbow, to look into her face while they talked. He could tell already that it was going to be a long night.

"She was a remarkable woman. She saved me from certain death, that night," he said softly.

"You had a crush on her, didn't you?" Faith asked quietly.

"This was before you, as you may recall," Anders began, but Faith shook her head. "No, love. I'm not jealous at all, just curious about your past life. You haven't really revealed a great deal, you know."

He smiled as his free hand went to her cheek, caressing it briefly, with the lightest of touches, causing Faith to tremble slightly.

"I know you may have a lot of questions. I'll answer them the best I can," he said, his voice a whisper as his eyes bore into hers.

Faith managed to control the desire she was feeling. Her curiosity clearly overpowered any desire she was feeling at the moment.

"What did the king mean by 'we can help you stop the nightmares forever', Anders?"

Anders sighed deeply. "What I'm about to tell you now, is a secret. Not only by warden standards, but a secret I swore to keep to the Queen and King themselves. You must promise that what I tell you tonight never leaves this room."

"You know I won't tell anyone, love. Don't you trust me?"

"All right. Well. You already know how we drink the darkspawn blood when we go through our Joining. What I haven't told you yet is that the Taint in us slowly progresses, until it starts to consume us. We turn to ghouls ourselves, half-darkspawn, or heed to our Calling and kill as many darkspawn as we can in the Deep Roads before dying."

"Calling?" Faith asked, dreading the answer already.

"The Calling is when the nightmares get bad, and you start to hear the voices. Then a warden knows his end has come, and we head off into the Deep Roads for one final battle before we die. It's either that, or become darkspawn ourselves."

"I see," Faith said quietly.

"That's not all. I've never told you this, but it's time you should know. A warden only has thirty years to live from the moment he drinks the darkspawn blood."

Faith froze, looking into his eyes, her eyes becoming suspiciously moist as she did so. Anders let out a strangled cry and pulled her to him, kissing the crown of her head, and holding her firmly against her chest.

After a few moments, Faith half-sat up in bed, turning to look at him. The sadness in her eyes nearly broke his heart.

"How long do you have before -" her voice caught in her throat, and she stopped talking.

Anders thought for a few moments. He had been twenty-five when he had gone through his Joining. He had just turned thirty-two a few weeks ago.

"Twenty-three years, give or take," he said softly, knowing the pain it would cause her to realize they didn't have all the time in the world as they wanted to.

"Oh," Faith said quietly. There it was. She was going to lose him after all. She always lost everything dear to her heart. Why had she ever fooled herself into thinking that with Anders it would be any different?

"Any other surprises you have for me tonight? Might as well spit them all out," she sighed.

"Well. There is something that I've remembered just now. The Taint does other things to wardens. No children for us, I'm afraid," he shot out, looking into her eyes sadly, the weight in his heart already crushing him.

She sighed deeply at this, then resorted to humor to hide the pain.

"Good to know. I can't imagine Bodahn babysitting for our children, while we save the world, can you?"

Anders gave her a sad smile, too heartbroken to even laugh at her attempt at humor. He knew all this information was killing her inside.

"I'm sorry, love," he said, sitting up to take her in her arms, but she pushed him away gently, a determined look in her eyes.

"You still haven't told me why the king said that they could help you? Is there a way to stop the Taint?"

"Yes, there is. I was there with them when they both took the potion to stop the Taint, and went through the whole treatment. It was not pretty, and painful to watch. I was there with them at Soldier's Peak, in northern Ferelden, not far from Amaranthine. I helped them, and helped Avernus, the warden mage who offered the solution to them."

"If there is a way to stop it, would you go through the same thing they went through it if I asked you?" Faith whispered to him.

"You know I would, love. You only have to say the word," he answered immediately, his hands now pulling her close.

This time she did not push him away, but allowed herself to be kissed and fondled, letting the desire climb and spread throughout her body.

The only thing that mattered to Faith from this moment onward was that there was a way out of the madness that being a warden entailed.

It was this thought that kept her going in the future, long after she thought she would break into a thousand little pieces with what was yet to come.

...


	31. Gamlen's Greatest Treasure

_**Not much to say about this chapter, except that I included this mission, because it was one of my favorite ones. I got a kick out of finding out that Hawke had a cousin that was alive, so I decided to make things more interesting, with Rilka Amell in the picture this time around...**_

_**Thanks to all my awesome reviewers: Darkchubb, HyperPenguin, Amondra and Darkkchylde. Your reviews make me dance around happily, with visions of Anders in my head! LOL! No, seriously I do appreciate your time in writing out your feedback! :D **_

_**I'm feeling a bit under the weather so I may take a little longer to update after this chapter... :( **_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 31 - Gamlen's Greatest Treasure

The world settled into relative calm once Aveline was married and ran off to Orlais with Donnic on a much-needed holiday. Faith found herself wishing it would be her, off on a romantic journey, instead of staying around dreary, hot Kirkwall.

She pushed a damp hair away from her forehead, cursing at the heat for the fourth time. They had been fighting thugs in the streets and alleyways for the second night running. The band of miscreants they had been fighting in Hightown had all been led by blood mages. When she found a note on one of them, giving the exact position of their hideout, she had felt a flash of sheer joy jolt through her that had made her feel giddy. She supposed the heat was responsible to some extent for the emotions that were running rampart through her body and soul.

She turned to Anders, and found out that he, too, was bathed in sweat, and breathing heavily. She found out this enticed her sexually. If it wasn't so hot, she might have even considered jumping on him and tearing his robes off his body. She shook her head and tried to picture something else, besides Anders's slick, hot body making love to her. It did not help that he was looking at her with desire in his eyes, either.

"Do we go and kill the bastards, then? I'm up for a bit of arse kicking," Varric chuckled behind him.

Faith turned, frowning at the dwarf for the first time since she had met him. He seemed to be cool and calm. How he could stand the hot weather was a mystery to her, and one that she found extremely annoying at the moment.

"Of course. When have I ever refrained from killing perfect examples of low-lives?" She sneered.

"I need a drink. Could we stop by The Hanged Man after this and get a drink?" Isabela pouted beside her.

Isabela looked sweaty as well. Faith concluded that the lack of sweat on Varric's part must be a dwarf thing.

They made their way to the hideout, which turned out to be a mansion that was around the corner from her estate. That struck her as hilarious and she burst out laughing before reaching the door.

Anders shifted beside her and she turned to glance at him. He was evidently uncomfortable with the way his coat was sticking to the tunic he wore underneath. He scowled at her, and this made her snort and break out into laughter once again.

"Eh? Hawke doesn't need a drink; she's already drunk!" Isabela exclaimed.

"Sorry. I just find everything funny right now. I'll try to control myself, I promise," Faith said contritely.

Anders just glared, looking at the door to the hideout. Faith could see that he was trying not to look at her. She grinned wickedly, as she bent down to pick the lock, brushing her back on Anders intentionally, wiggling her hips. Her grin widened when she heard his sharp intake of breath, followed by a curse.

"You're such a tease," Isabela chuckled behind them.

A tell-tale click told them the door was unlocked, and Faith slipped inside, the rest following her closely.

The foyer was empty, but Anders hissed a warning to her. "I can sense magic in the next room. Be careful."

She opened the door. About three dozen thugs stood around with their swords, shields and greatswords at the ready. Apparently, their blood mage leader had alerted them as well. Her daggers seemed to have a life of their own as they slashed into the one nearest her. She felt the blood spray over her face and wiped it off mechanically, sprinting into a run to bash into the blood mage leader, who was standing next to the set of stairs in front of her.

Anders had called forth a tempest spell that had the thugs dancing on their toes, jerking around. She suppressed a giggle and rushed into the blood mage. He flew into the air and landed on the floor with a dull thud. She burst out laughing, bringing down a dagger into the back of his neck. The dagger made a squishing sound; the mage twitched for a few seconds and was still.

They finished off the rest rather quickly. Another mage, who had been hiding in one of the upper rooms appeared suddenly, casting a spell on Faith and sending her sprawling to the floor. Anders let out a growl of anger and flung a paralysis spell on the mage, then a winter's grasp in quick succession. He turned quickly to cast a healing spell on Faith, then turned back to the mage, but Isabela had already dispatched her.

Faith stood up, her eyes scanning the vast room, then lingering on the doors that led to upstairs room. She didn't have to tell the rest what they were going to do next - they had already turned their attention to the stairs, and had their eyes focused on the doors as well.

They searched through the rooms for more thugs or mages, but they had evidently gotten them all.

"Right. Time to go to -"

"Lowtown," Anders finished for her. He smiled down at her as she nodded her head.

"How about that drink first, then?" Isabela asked hopefully.

"Later, Isabela. I promise," Faith replied as they left the place.

"Sure. That's what you said last time," Isabela groaned. "I'm still waiting for that drink, you know..."

...

By the time they had dealt with some of the thugs in Lowtown, Faith was sweating so much and so hot, she thought she would surely melt. Her body itched all over. She simply could not continue without taking a cold bath first.

"Maker's breath! You would think with the hot weather we're having, the criminals would give it a rest, but no! They must be insane!" Faith exclaimed as they stopped at the door that led to The Hanged Man.

"I should think you're even more insane, intent as you are on finding and getting rid of them," Anders commented, chuckling at her icy stare.

"I'm merely keeping the streets safe, just as Aveline requested," she shot back at him moodily.

"Really now? You fooled me. I thought you _liked_ killing bad people," Anders quipped, a grin on his face.

"Are we even going inside?" Isabela said testily. She was wet from the amount of sweat she was producing, looking like a bedraggled kitten who had been pulled out of a pond.

"You two go on, we'll continue tomorrow," Faith replied. Anders took her hand in his and soon had to drop it. His palms were sweating too much. He gave a grunt of disapproval and soon they both were making their way up the thousand or so stairs that led to Hightown.

"Maker! Whoever built this city did not do it during the summer," Faith murmured, breathing heavily.

She couldn't wait to get home to a nice cold bath. Stealing a glance at Anders, she could see him panting heavily. He turned slightly and his eyes met hers. She knew him so well, she could tell that he wanted exactly the same thing as she did.

They both quickened their pace at the same time, anxious to reach the estate at last.

...

They were ambushed by some carta dwarves on the top of the stairs. Faith lashed into them angrily. Anders gave a cry and froze them so solidly, Faith actually shattered the one she sank her daggers into.

There were only three of them, so they managed to kill them off easily.

"I _need_ that bath! Now!" Faith gasped, her wet hair sticking to her scalp.

"I do, too. Might I suggest we bathe in separate rooms tonight? It's too hot to wait until you are done," he said quietly.

"Take the room next to mine. The one you were using before, when...well, you know when," Faith said, as she arrived at the front door at last.

"That was the one I was thinking about, love," Anders said, smiling.

They climbed the stairs, then separated, as they headed towards the different rooms to bathe.

...

Anders walked into the room he shared with Faith feeling so good, he was smiling. His clean, wet hair was loose, and he was wearing a pair of loose trousers and nothing else. It was too late to run into Rilka, but he was wearing the trousers just in case. Besides, they were the only thing of his that was in the room he had just vacated anyway.

He closed the door of their room and then locked it. He could hear Faith still splashing around in the water and that gave him an idea. He grinned as he pulled off his trousers, then advanced to the bathroom. She was lying in the tub full of cold water, her eyes closed, looking blissfully relaxed.

He knelt and brought his hands on her shoulders, tracing light patterns over them. She opened her eyes and smiled at him happily. "Care to join me?" She whispered huskily.

"I just might, if it gets too hot," he grinned. For now, he just took the soap and a piece of cloth she used to scrub with, and rubbed them together. Then, he took the soapy cloth and proceeded to massage her carefully. His erection was throbbing by the time he had finished. Soon they were kissing each other passionately, and he practically dragged her to the bed, still wet.

"This is what I love about you," she whispered.

"The sex?" He whispered back, amusement in his voice.

"Silly," she giggled, her hands caressing his throbbing erection. "The way you take care of me, the way you love me."

He feigned disappointment in his voice. "And here I thought the good time I gave you in bed was the source of it all."

She laughed, but he cut her laugh off with a passionate kiss, his tongue snaking into hers with abandon.

She kissed him back and her hips thrust up to him, meeting his right hand half-way. He deftly parted her curls and started massaging her nub.

Faith opened her eyes and looked into his twin amber orbs, that were nearly black with desire.

"Don't stop tonight, love. I want you to make love to me all night long," she whispered, her voice laden with lust.

...

"What do you know about the Carta, Varric?" Faith asked the dwarf the next day. It was late in the afternoon, and Varric had stopped by the estate with Fenris to visit Faith and Anders on his way to the Merchant's Guild.

Fenris was glaring at Rilka, who was sitting nonchalantly on the settee, but she was smiling sweetly at Fenris every time he glared. Faith suppressed a giggle and focused on Varric's answer.

Anders was sitting on a chair next to her and leaned forward, his eyes on the dwarf.

"The Carta? I know for a fact that they control the lyrium trade, or most of it. The rest is controlled by the Chantry. I also know they are good fighters, and have the best assassins. Why?" Varric asked.

"Well, we were ambushed by three coming home last night," Faith mused.

"We were hoping you could shed some light on why they would attack us," Anders added.

"Hmmm. I haven't heard anything. I'll keep an ear and eye out, and talk to my contacts. I'll let you know if I discover something," Varric said.

Bodahn appeared suddenly. "Messere? Your Uncle Gamlen sent a missive. I noticed it was still untouched on the desk, so I brought it over for you to take a look."

"Thank you, Bodahn," she smiled brightly at the dwarf, who grinned and left the room.

"Did you have many slaves in Tevinter?" Fenris growled suddenly at Rilka.

"Slaves? No! I'm against slavery! I was living there merely because I escaped the circle here and I had to get away," Rilka exclaimed.

"Ah, yes. An-ders helped you, didn't he?" Fenris bit out Anders's name disgustedly.

"Watch it, Fenris," Anders growled.

"What are you going to do, mage? Glow blue and try to kill me?" Fenris spat out.

Anders suddenly found himself standing, though he did not remember doing it. His hand went behind his back, but he remembered his staff was in the bedroom and cursed to himself.

"That's enough!" Faith barked. She turned to Fenris, red in the face. "Really, Fenris! Not all mages are blood mages, evil or abominations! Rilka is a perfect example of the good magic can do! She is my cousin, and is a sweet, decent girl. And when was the last time you saw Anders turn into an abomination? Because I _live_ with him and he hasn't turned into one yet!"

"It's stupid that you should hate all mages, having been a slave. Can't you see we're treated like slaves ourselves?" Rilka asked.

"He's too narrow-minded to see that. He can't see beyond his hatred, can you, Fenris?" Anders said through clenched teeth, his eyes flashing angrily.

Fenris stood up, his lips curling up in a sneer. "Then maybe I should just leave before I do something that Hawke will make me regret doing."

Without waiting for Faith to say something, he stormed out of the estate. Faith's worried eyes followed his lithe figure as it left.

"He'll snap out of it, Hawke, he always does," Varric said in a low voice.

"Unfortunately, that's true," Anders admitted.

"Dinner is ready, messers," Bodahn called from the door. They all stood up and silently followed Faith out of the room.

...

They sat in the sitting room after dinner, drinking some Antivan brandy. The weather had cooled down considerably, probably due to the fact that a storm had started not too long ago.

"Why don't you stay for the night, Varric? The weather is foul right now. I wouldn't like you to be hit by lightning or anything," Faith smiled.

Varric agreed, thanking her for her hospitality. Orana had walked into the room carrying more brandy, so she asked her to ready one of the guest rooms for the dwarf. The elven girl bowed and left the room, smiling at Faith.

Faith had been reading her uncle's missive. It was short and to the point.

She turned to Varric and Rilka, a grin on her face. "Say, how would you like to come with me to visit Gamlen tomorrow? He says he wants to see me."

"Your uncle is feeling sentimental? I wonder what he _really_ wants," Anders mused.

"I never met Uncle Gamlen when I stayed here before," Rilka said in a soft voice.

"You haven't missed anything," Anders deadpanned.

"Anders, really!" Faith exclaimed, shaking her head in mock disapproval. Anders smirked.

"Is he _that_ bad?" Rilka asked curiously.

"Well, let's put it this way, Sweets," Varric drawled, a smile on his face, "Gamlen is the kind of person that would easily try to swindle his own mother and father."

"That is _so_ not true," Faith hurried to say. "He didn't _try_ anything! He _did_ swindle his own father and mother!"

Varric and Anders both laughed at this, while Rilka looked at her cousin, a bit alarmed. Faith burst out laughing.

"Rilka, there is nothing to worry about. I know him well and deep down inside he has some good points."

"Must be really _deep_ down then, because I sure can't see any!" Anders quipped.

"Oh, you!" Faith admonished him, swatting at his hand that held hers firmly. She quickly turned to her cousin. "You should come and decide for yourself. He can be quite charming when he puts his mind to it."

...

The rain had stopped the following morning, so after a hearty breakfast, the four of them headed towards Gamlen's little hovel in Lowtown.

Gamlen was unusually nice to Faith.

"I have to say, I'm proud of you, Faith," he muttered.

Faith's eyes widened with surprise, but that was nothing compared to the look of disbelief on Anders's face.

If Gamlen noticed their expressions, he said nothing about them, but carried on speaking.

"I had my doubts the first time I saw you, but...I guess there was something to that Hawke fellow Leandra ran off with after all. He certainly produced an amazing daughter. Your mother would be proud, my dear."

"Uncle Gamlen! Was that...affection?" Faith asked.

"I'm feeling sentimental. We're the only family we've both got left. For a long time, I thought the Amell line in Kirkwall would end at me. I'm glad you've pulled it out of the grave."

"Oh, yes...about that..." Faith turned to Rilka. Giving her a smile and a wink, she turned back to Gamlen. "Did mother ever tell you about Revka Amell?"

"Tell me? Our parents went on about it for a time, and she mentioned it several times when you all were living here. Why?"

"Well," Faith smiled, pulling Rilka to her side. "This is her daughter. She had been taken into the Circle in Ferelden, but when the Blight was raging the country she escaped. The Hero of Ferelden helped her. She made her way to Kirkwall to the circle here, but ran away because she was going to be made Tranquil."

"Tranquil? What the blazes is that?" Gamlen inquired, smiling at Rilka.

"The templars, they brand you using magic and take away all emotions, all feeling. It's like being dead, but you're not," Rilka said sadly.

Gamlen shook his head. "Bloody tin men. Never did like them." He took a few steps and abruptly gave Rilka a hug. "Welcome to the family, my dear. You look a lot like Bethany, Faith's sister. Has anyone ever told you that? No matter. Please, come in and sit so we can talk for a while."

Anders and Faith exchanged glances, smiling at each other. Then, they all sat down on rickety chairs that Gamlen offered them.

They talked for a while, when Faith eyes happened to glance on a table nearby where she spotted what looked like a crumpled note. Following an impulse, she quickly took the piece of parchment.

Her uncle instantly changed his demeanor. "Leave that alone! There are things that don't actually involve you, you know!"

But Faith was already reading it. Sprawled across the parchment was a lone sentence.

"_I found the Gem of Keroshek, Gamlen, and if you want it, come to Darktown alone_."

"That note mentioned a 'Gem of Keroshek'. What's that?"

"It's nothing! Never you mind about that!" Gamlen practically snarled.

"This gem sounds pretty impressive. It has a name and everything," Faith insisted.

"Bah, don't be stupid! I lost everything chasing after that gem...our fortune, our home, even...Mara..." Gamlen suddenly looked sad, which surprised Faith, as she had never seen Gamlen sad about anything in her entire life.

"Who's Mara?" She asked curiously.

"She's no one! It's none of your business! Why don't you return to your fancy estate in Hightown and stay out of my damned business!" Gamlen yelled.

They left the small house in a hurry, but Faith had a smile on her lips, and a look in her eyes that made Anders groan beside her.

"I know that look. We're going to Darktown to meet the person who sent the note, aren't we?"

...

A group of shady looking characters were waiting in Darktown, trying to look like they were busy doing something else. Faith immediately knew these were the people who had probably sent the note. She walked directly to a big, burly blonde man.

"Are you the one who sent the note about the Gem of Keroshek?" She asked.

"Ah! Here you are at last," the man replied. "We were beginning to think you wouldn't show. It's rude to keep people waiting, you know. It's not like I don't got things to do."

Faith could tell this man was the leader.

"To inconvenience an upstanding citizen such as yourself? My! Where are my manners!" She quipped.

The man, who was not the brightest star in the heavens, snarled out a reply.

"Don't talk down to me. I ain't stupid!" He paused, waiting for his thugs to gather around him and smiled wickedly. "See, we was hired to give you a note. But this 'Gem of Keroshek' thing this note talks about? We decided we want that instead. You better hand it over!"

Faith had been right in her assessment of the man. Only someone stupid would dare challenge a group that had not one, but two mages in it.

"I'm surprised you know what a note is, let alone know how to read one," she smirked.

"Don't need to know how to read, all I need to know is which end of the sword goes where. We aren't going anywhere without that gem."

Faith sighed, turning to her team. Anders and Rilka were already holding their staffs in front of them, and she could see they were focusing for spells. Varric held Bianca in his hands. She turned back to the man and shook her head.

"Well, I'm willing to bet Thedas won't miss _you_," she said, then whisked out her twin daggers, jumping on the man.

...

They were peeved to discover that finding the person who had actually sent the note entailed going on a treasure hunt of sorts, hunting for clues that would bring them closer to their goal.

When they were ambushed in a fish warehouse in the docks, Faith decided she had had enough. A note on the mercenary commander gave them express directions to a place near the Bone Pit where they would hopefully find the person who had sent the note.

"So these thugs were to capture Gamlen and take them to the place described in the note?" Anders said, reading over her shoulder. "Huh. Sounds like the beginning of a bad romance, if you ask me."

"It's time to end this charade," Faith muttered through clenched teeth.

They headed off to the estate first to pack overnight backpacks and food for the trip, then off they went.

Anders was kind of feeling sorry for the person who had staged this whole thing as Faith seethed in anger during the entire journey.

...

A girl with a bow and quiver of arrows on her back met them in a vast room. To say Faith was nettled was an understatement, for they had battled giant spiders and undead in order to get to this person.

"So! Gamlen told you to come instead of him? I should have known he'd send you, cousin," the girl said angrily.

Faith's mouth dropped open, and Rilka uttered a cry of surprise behind her.

"Cousin? You're my cousin?" Faith asked in a weak voice.

"Another cousin?" Anders's voice was full of surprise.

"What do you mean another?" The girl asked, her eyes narrowing.

"She's my cousin!" Faith exclaimed, pointing at Rilka whose eyes were nearly popping out of their sockets.

"Wait, I have another cousin? My mother, Mara, never told me this!" The girl exclaimed, looking greatly surprised herself.

"Mara is your mother? So...Gamlen is..._your father_?" Faith cried incredulously.

A man stepped out of the shadows, only to stand in front of the girl. Barely glancing at Faith and her team, he snarled at her.

"Sorry to break up this _touching_ family reunion, but I've got a score to settle here."

"Veld?" The girl said, a confused look on her face. "What are you doing here?"

"Mekel is dead! That bitch killed him!" He pointed an angry, shaking finger at Faith.

"Insult me again, and it won't just be Mekel who died by my hand," Faith snarled.

"Do you really think your threats will work? You killed my brother! I'll have your head for this!" Veld cried, giving a whistle.

Instantly they were surrounded by at least three dozen men. Faith gritted her teeth and whipped out her daggers.

"Oh, good!" Varric called behind her. "Bianca was starting to get bored!"

Faith attacked, and all hell broke loose.

...


	32. Legacy, Part 1

_**Hi everybody! I'm alive! LOL! **_

_**I managed to write the latest chapter while blowing my nose, and my wonderful editor PheonRen sent it back to me today, minus a lot of commas, I have a thing for commas, haha! :P So, here's the chapter, in all its glory! **_

_**A thing to ponder...this chapter is taking place during the three-year-gap time, thought I'd mention that. Also, the Legacy DLC is important to the overall plot here, so that is why I've written it in! Some of the in game dialog is included along with other dialog I made up, lol. So, spoilers in this and the next chapter, in case you haven't played Legacy yet! **_

_**Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers (LadyDarksbane - love the name, darkkchylde, Darkchubb and xx Twilight Princess xx), you know reviews make me feel so warm and fuzzy inside! I really appreciate them! :D**_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 32 - Legacy, Part 1

Anders stared at the parchment before him, trying to make sense of what he had written for the third time. He rubbed his eyes, and frowned as he looked down and reread the words.

"_**We cannot afford to lose so many good mages to the wrath of the Templars. The time has come for us to act. Magic must serve us as it has never done before. Mages cannot continue to be treated as animals, slaves to their templar jailors who will not hesitate to rape, beat and **_-"

_We are wasting time..._

"Shut up, Justice," Anders sighed.

_We are wasting time writing this. We should act. You know what must be done. You sit around, and do nothing but waste time. You do nothing but help her. What about the mages? When will you help them?_

"I know what I'm doing. And I _want _to help her. Do I have to remember how she's helped us in the past so you can shut up?" Anders nearly snarled.

_Where is she now? Why is she so oblivious to our plight as of late? _

"You know very well that she is with both her cousins and her uncle. Family is important to her..."

_Family should be important to you as well. The Mages are your family. Do not turn your back on them. _

Anders shook his head and stood up quickly. He gathered the parchment up in his hand then threw it into the fire roaring in the fireplace. The estate was unbearably silent without Faith in it.

A week had gone by since Charade, Faith's cousin and her Uncle Gamlen had been reunited. Faith had been to her uncle's nearly every day with Rilka to catch up, so to speak. He'd never seen her happier and smiled as the memory of her bubbling with laughter came to his mind.

He stretched then turned to leave the room. The Carta was still after Faith, ambushing her whenever she left the mansion, so he decided to go pick her up. Even though she was with Rilka, a powerful mage, he didn't want to leave them alone against the dwarves.

_The way you protect her is unwise. She can take care of herself._

He chose not to say a word as he made his way down the stairs and out of the estate, his brow furrowed, deep in thought. Bodahn shook his head as he watched him leave.

"Ah, Sandal. Master Anders is such a good man. Why he chooses to brood about things he cannot change is something I will never understand, my boy."

"Enchantment," Sandal said sadly.

...

Anders ran into Varric, who was exiting The Hanged Man on the way to Gamlen's house.

"Blondie. Just the person I want to talk to," Varric grinned up at him.

"You finally have something for us, I take it?" Anders smiled back at the dwarf.

"I do. I'd rather not repeat details, however. Where is Hawke?" Varric asked.

"She's at her Uncle's. I was going to pick her up when I ran into you."

Just then, Anders caught sight of Faith and Rilka as they made their way down the stairs that led to Gamlen's house. Faith was chatting animatedly about something, her features lit up and her hands moving excitedly as she talked. Anders smiled at this, then his eyes picked up movement from one of the windows across the small square she was walking into. A short, stubby figure suddenly appeared behind Faith, daggers raised high above his head.

He cried out a warning, while reaching for his magic and flinging a glyph of repulsion at Faith's feet. The dwarf was hurled away a few feet by the force of the glyph, and Faith turned, her daggers at the ready; while Rilka hurriedly unstrapped her staff, adopting a defensive position.

Faith rushed to the dwarf, holding one of the daggers to his throat.

"Why are you attacking me? Why does the Carta want me dead?" She screamed at him.

"Not dead," the dwarf muttered, then quickly scrambled to his feet. "Half-alive if necessary."

Faith sunk her daggers into his chest, but the dwarf had already vanished, leaving a screen of smoke behind him.

"Ugh," Faith grimaced. "I hate it when they do that."

Anders and Varric quickly ran to her side.

"Well, you'll soon be able to ask them directly, Hawke. I've discovered where their base is," Varric said to Faith, a smile on his face.

"That's fantastic, Varric. Is it nearby?" Faith smiled down at the dwarf.

Varric burst out laughing. "Hardly. How would you like to take a trip to the Vimmark Mountains, Hawke? I hear the weather there is nice, this time of the year."

"It's summer, Varric. I doubt _anything_ is nice this time of the year. But the nights _are_ cooler there, that's for sure," Faith chuckled.

...

They spent most of what was left of the afternoon packing, then headed towards the dining room for dinner. Anders was unusually silent and withdrawn, and Faith slid a hand in his and squeezed it. He looked down at her lovingly and smiled.

"Copper for your thoughts," Faith whispered, and he chuckled.

"We can talk later, love. Right now, one of my warden appetites demands attention..."

"Shame it's your stomach this time," Faith teased, then giggled at his expression. He looked like he would take her right there, on the table for a few moments.

"Do you mind?" Rilka muttered, her face flushed. She was already sitting at the table, and had heard every word.

"Sorry, cousin," Faith grinned, then sat down. Anders sat next to her, looking relaxed, a smile playing on the corners of his lips.

They talked about the trip while they ate. Rilka would be going with them, of course. She seemed excited about getting away from Kirkwall into the Free Marshes.

"I've never been outside the city."

"It's just the mountains. Some places green, but with the foul weather we're having, I suspect it will be mostly dry dirt," Faith mused.

"Doesn't matter. At least it's dirt, not stone," Rilka replied dryly.

Faith smiled, then pushed away her plate. Orana appeared and started to clear the table. "That was delicious, Orana! Thank you!" Faith told her, giving her a wide smile.

Orana dissolved into smiles and curtseys, genuinely pleased at the compliment. They left the table all together, pausing after climbing the stairs.

"Good night , you two. Try to keep it down, yes?" Rilka giggled before disappearing behind the door that led down the upstairs corridor.

Anders started to kiss Faith as soon as the door closed.

"Really, love, can't keep your hands off me?"

"No," he mumbled, moving down her neck, nipping it softly. She gave a little moan and he gave a growl, lifting her in his arms, then pinned her against the wall. Her legs wound themselves around his waist.

"Anders, we should at least get into our room," Faith gasped, as his hands slid up her back. One of them was suddenly at her breast, massaging it and tweaking her nipple through the fabric of the tunic she was wearing.

"Mmmm," he replied, his eyes half-closed as his hand went down to her crotch.

"Really, love, I want to get -"

"Yes, I know, I know," Anders sighed. He let her go reluctantly, and opened the door to their room. "But once we get inside, you're mine."

...

The following morning, they were up and ready, despite their lack of sleep. They met Rilka at breakfast, then left the estate chatting, running into Varric along the way.

"Let's get moving," Varric said after greeting them.

As soon as they left the city, their spirits lifted considerably.

"Wow. I never noticed what living in Kirkwall does to you, until now," Faith muttered. "I feel so free!"

Anders smiled. "Think of going away to another country, then. Back to Ferelden, perhaps?" He wiggled his eyebrows at her, smirking.

"You _want_ to go to Ferelden?" Faith asked incredulously.

"Well, we know the King and Queen there, it isn't like we wouldn't have a place to stay," Anders replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"_You_ know the king and queen," Faith said firmly. She gave him a sidelong glance before she continued to talk. "I didn't realize going back there was so important to you."

Anders chuckled under his breath. "They both invited us over, when I visited them at the inn last month."

"And you're telling me this _now_?" Faith shook her head.

"Sorry, love. It slipped my mind, somehow. I just remembered today," Anders grinned. "Besides, they have something of mine and I want it."

"Something of yours?" Faith asked curiously.

"I suggest we set camp here, and get something to eat and drink. Your cousin looks like she's about to faint," Varric chuckled, interrupting their conversation.

"Don't mind me. I'm just not used to walking so much, especially in this heat," Rilka mumbled.

They set up camp under some trees that at least gave them some shade, agreeing to rest after having something to eat.

"It's better if we travel when it gets dark. The heat is overpowering during the day," Faith said.

...

They arrived at a desolate, dry valley between the Vimmark Mountains two days later. The whole place was illuminated by the light of a full moon, shining down brightly. Their eyes scanned the eerie landscape, their thoughts a mile away.

"It looks like the Fade," Anders whispered.

"A place of nightmares, surely," Rilka agreed.

"I love how optimistic and cheerful you two can be at times," Faith commented.

Varric chuckled. "So, what do you think? It's all very strange to me."

"Why do you say that? It's just the Carta, isn't it?" Faith asked.

"Well, as far as my contacts in the Carta know, they shouldn't be here. There shouldn't even _be_ a here," Varric shook his head. "This whole place is invisible. A big, blind spot on the map. Bianca's never been this suspicious, and she's twitchy to start with."

"I feel honored, then," Faith mused. "They're actually going out of their way to get me, seeing as they're far from Kirkwall as it is."

"So, what's the plan?" Varric asked.

"I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding. Later, we'll all have tea and laugh," Faith giggled.

"Oh! Your name is _Hawke_? I thought it was _Locke_!" Varric chuckled.

"I don't like this place one bit. And I like it less to think they can get at you," Anders said, his voice laden with worry.

Faith gave him a peck on the cheek, and he smiled reluctantly at her.

"Let's go," she said resolutely, walking along the dirt path that wound its way around the mountainside.

...

By the time they reached the Carta hideout in the Vimmark Chasm, they were exhausted. They had fought different groups of Carta lunatics along the way, all declaring they wanted Hawke's blood, and all feverish and babbling gibberish. All of them mentioned someone, or something called Corypheus, before dying.

"So, this Corypheus is some kind of demon?" Anders asked curiously.

"I guess we get that answer only from Corypheus," Faith commented, trudging wearily along the path.

The heat was doing its best to make them feel even worse. Faith was actually relieved when they reached a door that obviously led to the Carta hideout.

When they walked inside, they fought more groups of deranged Carta members, until Varric recognized one of them.

"Gerav!" He shouted at the dwarf who ran up to them. "Never thought I'd see you again! Particularly here, of all places!"

Gerav ignored him for he was staring at Faith, his mouth drooling. Faith felt uncomfortable and blinked back at him.

"It's the Hawke! The child of Malcolm Hawke has come to us!" Gerav muttered, his eyes glazed over. He then noticed Varric. "Varric? No one told me you were a part of this!"

"Why has the Carta been attacking me?" Faith snarled.

"I c-can't say," Gerav stammered. "The Master must be free!"

"Really, Gerav? I thought better of you than this," Varric sneered, his face contorted with disgust. "I mean, gutting the occasional competitor for fun and profit, that's the game. But what are you all even doing here? Worshipping demons?"

"We drink the darkspawn blood. He calls us..." Gerav whispered.

"Why would you do that? Wouldn't you just die afterwards?" Faith grimaced.

"It's the only way...to hear the music," Gerav retorted, clearly half-crazed. Faith took a closer look at him and saw his eyes were covered in a grayish film, his skin was already deteriorated. She shook her head sadly: This dwarf was already displaying signs of corruption.

"Oh, come on, you nug-licker! Snap out of it. There's no gold in hallucinating!" Varric quipped, making her smile in spite of the seriousness of the situation. She couldn't resist throwing a witty remark herself.

"Manners, Varric! Introduce me to your lunatic friend," she smiled sideways at Varric.

Varric's grin deepened. "Hawke, this is Gerav. He's a greedy, brilliant, bastard son-of-a-nug from the Carta." Varric then turned to Gerav, who was staring speechless at them. "Gerav, this is Hawke, the one whose blood you want to drink, or bathe in, or whatever. But if you're after eternal youth, I've got to tell you, she's no virgin."

Behind them, Anders snorted, and Faith burst out laughing. Gerav stared blankly at all of them, possibly wondering if they were corrupted too, or insane...

"The Master is calling!" He shouted at them. "He needs the blood!"

"Look, Gerav," Varric said, unsheathing Bianca from his back, "I've still got Bianca. She's never misfired a day in her life. You don't want her to see her papa like this, do you?" He cradled the crossbow gently in his hands.

"Varric, you want to spare this bastard?" Faith asked Varric, her hands already halfway to her daggers.

"Not if he's after you, Hawke," Varric muttered angrily, as he positioned Bianca directly at Gerav. "Bianca, I think it's time to say goodbye." Gerav disappeared in a screen of smoke, reappearing a few moments later, with two other Carta dwarves.

"Reinforcements, I see," Faith said in a light, airy voice. "I thought it was too quiet around here!"

...

After fighting and killing the leader of the deranged Cara dwarves, they ran outside to follow a couple that were getting away. A tower rose majestically before them, and they gawked at it from where they stood.

"Will you look at that?" Faith said in awe.

"A tower? Down here?" Anders muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "I can scarcely believe it!"

"Um...bad people? Running away?" Rilka called to them, and they quickly resumed the chase.

They arrived at a crude arena in the middle of the chasm, where they had previously battled two brontos, and stopped still. The two Carta dwarves lay dead on the dirt ground, killed by something.

"I told you not to open that chest, or take what was inside," Anders chided beside her. See what you've done?"

What looked like a cross between a mage and an arcane horror stood in the middle of the arena, gazing malevolently at them.

"This is going to be fun!" Rilka said, flinging a fireball at it. The thing simply held out its hand, reflecting the spell back to its source, and they all had to leap out of the way to avoid being hit.

"Pointy things, then," Faith sighed, then leapt towards it, daggers flashing.

While it was distracted battling Faith, Anders managed to freeze it with a Winter's Grasp spell. Rilka gazed up at the wooden walkways surrounding them and saw dozens of undead archers suddenly materializing.

"We've got company!" She cried, as she flung a firestorm at some of them, killing them.

In the meantime, Varric was focusing on a different group of archers, while Faith continued to dance around the evil thing that was commanding the archers. It grinned malevolently at Faith, then started to rise up into the air, hovering out of the reach of her daggers.

"Anders!" Faith called, but before Anders could manage to fling a lightning spell at it, the thing changed...

...into a roaring high dragon.

"And this is just what was missing! Yay!" Faith yelled as she faced the beast.

...

They trudged wearily back to the now-empty hideout after killing the dragon. Faith had some burns that Anders healed, then he walked over to Rilka and then Varric, healing each of them thoroughly.

"We should get some rest," Faith said tiredly.

"You know this eventually leads to the Deep Roads, don't you?" Anders sighed beside her. He turned to Varric. "Why did I agree to come along, again?"

"Because you think Hawke is cute," Varric replied, grinning.

"She _is_ kind of cute," Anders inspected Faith, his eyes twinkling.

Faith wrinkled her nose at Anders then stuck out her tongue, and he burst out laughing.

"What's for dinner?" Anders turned to Varric. "More beef jerky?"

"Of course, Blondie. Unless you want to cook?" Varric replied handing out the food to them.

"Beef jerky works. I actually am fond of the stuff, if you must know," Anders replied, already munching on a piece.

"Here's some bread to go along with that," Varric said. "I found a public bath in that room over there. We can take turns bathing. It's bubbling, so I'm guessing there's an underground spring somewhere below, that feeds the whole forsaken place."

"Ah, a bath sounds _lovely_!" Faith sighed dreamily as she ate.

"We can go in together," Anders whispered huskily.

"Honestly, you two! Wait till I bathe first and put a sleeping spell on myself," Rilka giggled.

"You can actually do that?" Varric asked interestedly.

Rilka nodded, and drank some water, then grabbed her pack. "See you all later, I'm off to wash up!"

"Well, I'll be..." Varric mused. "Seems like mages have it made."

"I agree, since the sex is _especially_ good if you're a mage," Anders smirked.

"You have to tell me about it, because so far, all I've heard is Hawke's screams. I'd like to know how you manage to get her to scream like that," Varric replied, smirking as well.

"I'm going to use my daggers on you both if you keep on talking about this!" Faith warned, eyeing them angrily.

"Ah, love, sorry about that," Anders pouted, his eyes shining merrily.

Faith rolled her eyes. "Just for that, you can bathe alone. I'm going to join Rilka," she said standing up and stretching.

Just then, Rilka arrived, looking clean and relaxed, her hair wet.

"Ha!" Anders laughed.

"Catch me if you can," Faith sang out, as she ran to the bath house that Rilka had just vacated, giggling madly along the way.

...


	33. Legacy, Part 2

Chapter 33 - Legacy, Part 2

They woke up after several hours of restful sleep, feeling and looking refreshed. Faith immediately started to look around, taking money from chests and reading scraps of parchment that had been left lying on a table. She discovered that the leader of the deranged dwarves they had killed earlier was called Rhatigan, and he had a key he called 'The Great One' which would help set Corypheus free. Faith blinked upon reading that, and she turned a curious gaze on Anders, who had been reading over her shoulder.

"Set Corypheus free? Free from what, exactly?" She shuddered inwardly after having asked the question.

"A key, huh? Not to concealed treasure, I'm guessing. _That_ would be too much to ask," Varric muttered.

"What's all this about wanting your blood, cousin? I have never heard of it before. Dwarves aren't mages who can use the blood for blood magic, right?" Rilka asked nervously.

Faith was unusually silent, gazing at an area in the corner of the room, behind a dead bronto they had dispatched. Anders turned to see what she was looking at so interestedly. He spotted a strange-looking chest.

Faith started to walk towards it. The minute she got close, the chest started to glow. She stopped dead in her tracks, frowning.

"A glowing object in a chest? That's something you don't see very often," Anders commented, keeping his eyes on Faith.

Faith stepped back, and the chest stopped emitting the strange, white glow. As soon as she crept closer to it, it immediately started to glow again.

"What the-?" Faith muttered under her breath. She went right up to the chest and threw back the lid.

There was a strange dagger lying on the bottom of the chest, and it was the dagger that was emitting the white light, which pulsed even more brightly. Varric, Anders and Rilka stepped closer to it, their eyes open wide in amazement.

Faith had a glassy look in her eyes. Before Anders could do anything to stop her, her hands shot out and she grabbed the dagger. The dagger momentarily lit up as if on fire, and Faith cried out as her hands held tightly onto it, shaking as she did so.

"What _is_ this? I can feel it burning inside me!"

Anders tried to get close to her, but she took a few steps back, shaking her head. At that moment, two more Carta members materialized before them. They cried out when they saw Faith and made a dash towards a tunnel that led into the dark.

They turned to look at the dagger, which now looked like any dagger should, except for the fact that it had a weird shape.

"This! This is going to take me to Corypheus!" Faith exclaimed, as she strapped it to her back, replacing one of the daggers she normally carried there.

Anders felt a terrible sense of foreboding, his whole body tensing as he saw her do this. He shook his head, stepping closer to her.

"Are you alright?" He whispered, a concerned look in his eyes.

Faith looked up at him and smiled at him warmly. "Never better. Now let's go chase those two Carta dwarves, shall we?"

Without pausing to listen to Anders's answer, she quickly walked into the tunnel. The top stone steps of a staircase was the only thing they could see in front of them. Anders and Rilka immediately focused on summoning spell wisps, which danced above their heads, illuminating the area in front of them.

"Well, time to chase more Carta members, right?" Varric said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"It's the Deep Roads down there. You know what this means we'll find, right?" Anders added, his arm wrapped protectively around her waist.

"Of course, love. Darkspawn," Faith commented, then turned to start the journey down the stairs into the darkness below.

...

The darkspawn in the first area they arrived at were far more aggressive than other darkspawn groups. They dispatched the first few groups that attacked them, continuing along the corridors of the massive place. Then, as they rounded a corner, they were ambushed by smaller darkspawn that had longer arms and were bulky, as well as fiendishly strong.

"Another type of darkspawn? This is just peachy!" Anders yelled out as he froze one that was getting too close.

Faith said nothing. It was hard enough fighting the fiends. Just as they were about to kill off the last one, a shield that had been propped against one of the walls came to life. A bigger, bulkier darkspawn was behind it.

"Oh, great! Variety!" Faith snarled as she leapt on it.

Her daggers fell on the massive shield, clanging loudly and didn't even scratch it. She quickly tried a backstab maneuver. The thing was slow to turn with the shield, but it mattered very little for its skin was incredibly tough. Faith's daggers barely grazed its skin.

She found herself staring into a pair of red-rimmed, malevolent eyes and back flipped before the creature opened its jaws to roar at her. The darkspawn immediately charged, hitting her with its shield which sent her flying to the other side of the room.

Anders let out a cry that came from the depths of his soul. He fired a paralysis spell that slowed the creature down. Rilka immediately sent out a fireball at it, and the creature screamed in agony. She then set up a glyph of paralysis trap to slow it down even more, while Anders ran to the other side of the room where Faith's limp figure lay.

"My love," he crooned as he turned her over. A final cry came from the creature as it burned alive from another one of Rilka's fireballs.

Faith was unconscious as he turned her over. A lump formed in his throat and he had to keep blinking to keep the tears at bay. He immediately scanned her and proceeded to heal her internal wounds. She had lost a lot of blood, so she remained unconscious, even after Anders had healed her completely.

"Will she be alright?" Rilka asked behind him.

"I think so, yes. But she's lost a lot of blood. We'll have to wait here until she comes to, and rest for a while longer after that. She'll need to eat, too," Anders answered, struggling to keep his voice steady.

"I'll cook, Blondie. You watch over her. We'll set up the tents and bedrolls here, then," Varric said as he moved around looking for something flammable to start a fire with. Rilka helped him. They found some pieces of debris in the corner which looked like they had been old buckets used for mining lyrium. The wood was still good, as the whole area was dry. Soon, with the help of Rilka, Varric had a fire crackling in the middle of the room, and a cooking pot over it.

When the stew was done, they ate in silence, keeping their eyes on Faith. The hours dragged on. Anders held a hand to her brow, and brushed away a strand of hair that was falling over her eyes. Faith's eyelids slowly fluttered open.

"What - what happened?" She croaked out.

"Shhh, take it easy, love. Here, drink some water..." Anders helped her up, then put a water skin to her lips.

She smiled after she drank and he smiled back. "How long was I out for?"

"Several hours, but you were hurt badly," Anders replied. Rilka gave a sigh of relief behind him, while Varric just stood silently beside Anders, regarding her with worry.

"We have some stew that Varric cooked. It's rather good, cousin. You should eat," Rilka said, handing her a bowl.

"It's just vegetables that I packed for the journey. Fortunately they were still fresh. After this, it's just beef jerky and bread, though," Varric said.

Anders took the bowl from Rilka's hands and helped Faith sit up. Then, propping her against his chest, he gave the bowl to Faith. Varric handed her a wooden spoon. She took two spoonfuls of the stew and tried to push the bowl away, but Anders protested.

"You must eat. You've lost a lot of blood, love. Please..."

Faith sighed and reluctantly obeyed. She finished the whole bowl and Anders smiled down at her. "All right. Time to get you ready for bed."

"But, we have to press on!" Faith protested, trying to disentangle herself from Anders's arms. He merely chuckled and held on tighter to her.

"Over my dead body. You need to rest. That's an order, by the way," he said firmly.

Faith sighed. "I hate it when you go all 'doctory' on me."

"No, you don't," Anders chuckled.

He carried her a short distance to where a tent had been set up, and lay her on the bedroll inside.

"I'll keep watch outside. Call me if you need anything," he said.

Then, giving her a peck on the cheek, he left the tent and sat in front of it, gazing into the darkness beyond.

...

As soon as Faith was better, they resumed their walk. Faith found parchments lying around one of the cells, and soon discovered they were in a Grey Warden prison which had been built and sealed to hold in a powerful darkspawn, which still lingered in its depths.

It wasn't till much later, and after fighting more darkspawn and even deranged Carta members, that they arrived to a place that had plainly been sealed by magic. One of the cells that had been magically sealed had a shade inside. When Faith approached the cell, a voice boomed out at her.

"...be bound here for eternity...hunger stilled, rage smothered, desire dampened, pride crushed. In the name of the Maker, so let it be."

Faith could make out a pair of glowing blue eyes in a dark, swirling mass. This was not what surprised her, however.

"No, it can't be!" She whispered, as the dark, swirling mass dissipated.

"What was that thing?" Rilka cried.

"Love? Are you alright?" Anders put an arm around her.

"That voice. It was...father's! I'm sure of it!"

"The shade is sealed in this cell by magic - powerful magic," Anders murmured. His lips brushed the top of her head in a light, comforting kiss.

Faith sighed, disentangling herself from Anders's arms. "We must free it and then kill it," she said as she walked towards a red pulsing light on a banner over their heads. As soon as she touched it, there was a loud sound that told them something had broken. Faith found another one of these red lights, and touched it also. Then after touching the red light on the magical seal in front of the shade, the seal disappeared, letting the shade out. They battled it, as well as magical copies of itself, and managed to kill the creature after a short while.

Faith shook her head, as the voice boomed out that he had kept the demons from walking Thedas and left the area, leading her group silently into the next.

...

They met a lone figure across a dilapidated stone bridge. It was wearing what looked like warden armor, and had a ghoulish appearance.

"Whoever he is, he is severely tainted. The corruption in him is massive," Anders shook his head sadly. "This is what happens when you don't die during your Calling. Eventually you turn into..._this_."

Faith's lips parted in surprise. The ghoulish man approached them, limping slightly. His skin was covered in putrid sores. Parts of his flesh were missing and they could see some of the bones peeking out. His head was grotesque, as chunks of hair had fallen out.

"The key!" The tainted man exclaimed. "You have the key!" He lifted his face and sniffed the air. His expression changed to a suspicious one after that. "How is it you hold the key? I can sense no magic in you! Only the Hawke can carry the key!"

"Key?" Faith asked. Then she pointed to the dagger she had found on Rhatigan. "You mean this thing? How is this a key?"

"It opens the seals, it closes them," the man said. "It is old magic, magic from the blood."

"I'm so glad I can rely on you for straight answers," Faith quipped. "Are you Corypheus? I came here looking for him, or it, whichever the case may be..."

"Do not say his name! He will hear! Do not wake him!" He then approached Faith slowly and peered at her curiously. "You are the Hawke! Are you his child? Yes, yes! I can smell his blood on you."

"That's warden armor he's wearing," Anders whispered to Faith. "See the griffons on the breastplate?" Faith nodded to this.

"All this talk about my blood is creepy. Are you at least planning to tell me your name?" Faith asked.

"Name...it's been so long...I can scarcely remember." The ghoul turned to Faith and his features brightened after a few moments of silence. "L-Larius! I am Larius!" He paused for a few more minutes, then turned to her again. "There was a title too...Commander of the Grey!"

"Poor wretch must have come down here on his Calling," Anders said in a sad voice.

Faith shook her head. This was what Anders would one day become? She pressed her lips together in a thin line. Not if she could avoid it!

"How do I get out of this place?" She asked.

"You cannot go up, the way you came. You must use the key on the seals. It will release the magic. This is the only way to leave this prison. Through the seals. You must go down, and to the heart."

Faith turned shaking her head, but Larius nearly yelled out his next sentence, causing her to turn back to him.

"No! Not up and back! Down and forward. Down to the depths! Use the key on the seals! Down and forward."

"Because I always like to take advice from tainted, crazy people," Faith chuckled.

"That does seem to be what you like to do, yes," Varric chuckled.

"I beg your pardon?" Anders sneered at Varric.

"Sorry, Blondie," Varric grinned. He didn't look a bit sorry.

"No, not crazy. Know the way out. Trust me. Down to the depths. Down..."

With these words, Larius limped away into the darkness.

...

They reached the first seal soon enough. As soon as Faith touched it, they found themselves battling a Pride demon. The battle was not easy, but they managed to kill it in the end.

As soon as they had dispatched it, the pillars around the round seal in the middle of the room lit up, emitting a bright blue glow. Larius approached them from the other side of the room.

"Let me guess," Faith said. "The first seal?"

"You must use the key and the blood of the Hawke. Then you will be able to leave this place," Larius said.

"Leave, as in 'go home'?" Faith asked.

"No. More seals, more floors. You must do this with every seal. Many locks, one key," Larius said cryptically.

Faith shook her head, then approached the seal. She unstrapped the 'key', which was the dagger she had taken from Rhatigan's chest, and watched it float over the middle of the seal, humming slightly. Then, she took a smaller dagger from its sheath at her side and cut her left palm. She clenched her fist twice, and watched as the blood fell to the middle of the seal.

Instantly, there was a bright flash of light, flinging her and the key to the floor. She then picked up the key and walked over to one of the columns, then touched it. The key-dagger instantly absorbed the magic contained in the column. Gazing down at the dagger-key, she saw that it was now coated in ice and realized that it would now deal cold damage with each swipe.

"The magic is good!" Larius cried out happily. "You must do this with the other seals. More floors. Each seal a lock."

With these words, he disappeared into the darkness.

As soon as Faith and the rest of her group tried to follow, Anders cried out. Faith turned to him sharply, fear gripping her heart.

"What's wrong?" She asked hurriedly.

"I'm hearing a voice. In my head," Anders gasped out. "It's calling to me...ah! I'm not listening!"

"What voice?" Faith pressed on.

"I - I don't know," Anders replied weakly. "I think it's Corypheus. He's using the Taint."

"Can't you stop it?" Rilka asked in a worried tone.

"I - I don't know," Anders mumbled.

Following an impulse, Faith stepped closer to him and kissed him. Anders stiffened for a few moments, then relaxed and put his arms around her, kissing her back fervently.

When she broke away from the kiss, she looked deeply into his eyes. Warm brown looked back at her adoringly.

"How do you feel now?" She asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Better, love. The voice is faint, now."

"I guess you know what we have to do to keep it away, then," she winked at him coyly.

"Another excuse for intimacy, Hawke? Really?" Varric chuckled. "Let's just move on. My ancestors were insane, living underground. This place gives me the creeps."

...

They descended to the next floor and almost immediately ran into another magical bind on a cell. Anders shook his head, for in the cell was an abomination. He turned quickly to Faith, Rilka and  
>Varric.<p>

"You know what damage abominations can do, right Rilka?" Anders asked softly. Rilka nodded so he focused his attention on Faith and Varric. "Love, I know you know, but I'll freshen your memory. Abominations are extremely dangerous. If they scratch you with their claws, they will deplete your health and stamina at an alarming rate. One swipe could even prove fatal. You need to stay away as much as possible."

"They're also slow, right? Which means I have a clear advantage over them," Faith commented.

"Whatever you do, stay away from its claws," Anders retorted quietly.

"I'll keep that in mind, love. Don't worry," Faith said, standing on her toes to give him a quick kiss. "Right, Varric, Rilka and you stay back. Shower it with fire, Rilka. Anders, electricity ought to work just fine on it. I don't know what it will summon to help it in the battle, but be prepared for anything. Are you all ready?"

They nodded, weapons at the ready, all in defensive positions.

Faith touched the seal and the abomination charged at her. She quickly performed a vendetta move and backstabbed it, then sprang lithely out of reach. The abomination summoned four profanes to help it out, so Anders switched to cold spells to obliterate them. Rilka, more of an expert with fire, burned the abomination, until Faith dealt the final blow.

The voice that boomed now sadly told them that magic must serve what is best in him, not what is most base. Faith shook her head and turned to leave.

Before they could reach the area where the second seal was kept, they ran into more darkspawn and another magic sealed cell. This time, a desire demon stared at them from inside the cell.

"Desire demons will summon undead," Anders cautioned. "Watch your backs!"

The fight went on longer than the other ones, and the desire demon teleported several times before Faith was able to finally kill it. The last skeleton archer was dispatched by Rilka, and they listened to Malcolm Hawke's last words as the swirling mass passed them.

"I've bought our freedom, Leandra. We can go home now, us and the baby. We'll be together. I hope it takes after you, love. I would wish this magic on no one...May they never learn what I've done here..."

Faith choked up upon hearing her father's words. "He - he was referring to me! Mother must have been pregnant with me when they left Kirkwall. Oh, father..."

Anders swept her up in a tight hug.

"He was a great man," he whispered to Faith, kissing the crown of her head as he rocked her gently in his arms. "I wish I could have known him."

"Me too, Anders. I'm sure you two would have gotten along so well. He - he wanted freedom for the mages, too," Faith whispered.

After a while, Varric cleared his throat. "A vast room up ahead. I have the feeling the next seal is inside, Hawke."

Faith pushed Anders away gently, and focused on the path ahead. She could easily make out the pillars that surrounded a circular object and nodded.

"Let's get this over with, then."

...

By the time they descended to the tower base, Anders was shaking badly. Every few minutes he would mutter that he wasn't listening, and he tried to keep his eyes and focus on Faith.

"Darling, I think we should stop -"

"No! We have to continue, so we can leave this cursed place," Anders growled back at her, momentarily losing his patience. He blinked and instantly his expression changed. "I'm so sorry, love. I - I'm afraid of what this Corypheus can do to my mind. Justice...Justice is fighting for control to block him out..."

"Let's move over there," she pointed to an empty building, beside a pool of stagnant green water.

Anders followed her into the building, and she grasped his face with her hands and kissed him fiercely on the lips.

He moaned into her mouth and his tongue snaked out as his lips greedily devoured hers. Faith's scent, her lips, her tongue, and her body melding into his was all he needed to lose himself completely to her. Corypheus's voice faded away completely as he grabbed her buttocks and she practically jumped, her legs around his waist.

They were both panting heavily, fumbling with buckles to get their clothes off, when Varric's yell interrupted them.

"Darkspawn! Lots of them!"

Anders and Faith hurriedly adjusted their clothes and rushed out to meet the beasts.

...

Once the battle was over, Faith walked around, collecting several items from the darkspawn bodies. Anders stood quietly beside her, his eyes following her every move, while Varric and Rilka walked around themselves, looking for more objects to loot.

"Hawke, look at this, will you?" Varric handed Faith a piece of parchment, which had some notes written by a warden whose name was Janeka. It gave details on Corypheus, and as Faith read on, Anders got paler.

"He's a powerful emissary...but it says here that he talks. Is this even possible?" Faith wondered out loud. "I've never heard of a talking darkspawn."

"We ran into one in Amaranthine. Alyssa killed it, and then the mother, which was another darkspawn - a powerful broodmother. They both talked, actually," Anders said, growing paler by the minute.

Faith shook her head and slipped her hand in his. "Are you all right, love?" She whispered.

"Yes, I- I think so. Let's just move on," Anders said in a weak voice.

Faith nodded and turned. As she walked up a path that led to the tower proper, Anders suddenly cried out and doubled over.

"What's wrong?" Faith said, hurrying to his side.

"I can't! He's too strong! The Joining...I've got too much of the Taint in me! Help me, love!"

Anders screamed and doubled over again. "I - will - not - be - _**controlled**_!"

His last word ended in a scream and his skin cracked, the blue glow that heralded Justice's appearance showing through the cracks. His eyes glowed blue and a dark mist swirled around him.

"Well, hello there, Justice. Having fun?" Faith quipped.

Justice growled and summoned two shades, then took his staff, bringing it down with force onto the stone ground.

"Uh, oh," Varric said. "This can't be good."

...

**_A/N: Oops! cliffhanger! :D Sowwyyy!_ _Don't worry, no one will get hurt, and as you'll see in the next chapter, this part will differ from the one that happens in the game. _**

**_Next chapter also reveals Corypheus and blows Anders's mind, lol! _**

**_Thanks for the reviews! Also thank you so much to those who've put this fic in their favorites and alerts! _**


	34. The Magister

_**Sorry for the long absence, I was very ill. Feeling a bit better to write! Thanks to all who reviewed! You guys rock! :D **_

_**Yeah, yeah...Bioware owns...what else is new? **_

Chapter 34 - The Magister

"Justice, please. Let him go," Faith said calmly, taking a step towards Anders. Justice did not back down, but pointed his staff at her, aiming directly at her chest.

"What are you doing, cousin?" Rilka whispered, her voice laden with fear as she watched Faith get even closer. "Stop!" Beside her, Varric let out a groan.

"I will not be controlled!" Justice screamed again and the shades attacked Faith. Faith jumped nimbly out of their way. With a shout she ordered Rilka and Varric to fight them. In a few minutes, the shades were dispatched by Varric and Rilka, while Faith turned back to Anders who growled menacingly at her. Performing a Vendetta maneuver, she disappeared from view, only to reappear behind him. Anders whirled around to face her, readying a spell, but Faith quickly jammed her knee - with all the strength she could muster - right into Anders's crotch.

"Ouch," Varric said dryly from where he stood. At the same time, Anders let out a howl of pain and doubled over. The blue cracks disappeared in a puff of dark smoke as he writhed with pain. Justice was gone.

Faith knelt on the ground next to Anders and waited for him to catch his breath.

"Fabulous," he panted, still in a great deal of pain. "I think you may have caused permanent damage to my manhood."

"Well, I don't think so. Still, as soon as you've recovered, we can find out," Faith murmured, a smile playing on the corners of her lips.

"And yet another excuse for intimacy," Varric shook his head. "Maker's breath, Hawke, give the man a break. Consider what you did to him for a moment."

Anders gave Faith a weak smile. "We'll stop to rest here, I think I need that and some food."

"We'll set up camp then," Faith smiled.

...

They fought more pride demons at the next seal, then conveniently ran into Larius.

"He feels the seals weaken. He knows you are close. You must be ready..." Larius was babbling. Faith sighed. She was getting a bit irked at his behavior. Also, why did he keep disappearing? She shook her head.

"What's that? Who? No! No! They're here!" Larius suddenly exclaimed.

"Who is it this time?" Faith asked sarcastically. "Puddles the Turtle? The Holy Cheesewheel of Andraste? The Maker Himself?"

"The Wardens!" Larius exclaimed, his agitation even more evident. "They listen to Corypheus. They want to bring him to the light. You must stop them!"

With these words, Larius disappeared into the darkness.

"I hate it when he does that," Faith mumbled. Then her attention focused on a small group of people that came from the other side of the room - three men and one woman. The woman was speaking to one of the men. They were all dressed in warden armor. When she saw Faith, she stopped, and her eyes widened upon noticing the dagger on her back.

"You! You have the key! And you've come through the seals. But how?" The woman exclaimed. Her eyes narrowed briefly, as if another idea had suddenly crossed her mind. "Wait! You're Hawke! Stroud told me he met you in the Deep Roads. Are you the same one? The child of Malcolm?"

Faith said nothing. She was feeling a growing dislike for the woman standing in front of her, but could not say why. The woman now gave her a smile that did not reach her eyes, which were still cold and calculating. "The carta said you were close. You must be her. I am Janeka. I lead this unit of Grey Wardens."

"What does all this have to do with my father?" Faith asked through clenched teeth.

"You don't know? Without Malcolm, this prison would have fallen twenty-nine years ago."

"Let me guess...it had something to do with this fancy thing?" Faith pointed at the dagger-key strapped on her back.

"The Grey Wardens built this prison to contain one of the most powerful darkspawn we've ever encountered. Containing him was difficult, as it required the blood of a mage untainted by...Warden training. The last to perform the ritual was your father," Janeka explained calmly.

Faith shook her head. Her father, involved in a blood magic ritual? Highly unlikely. Still, she knew that Janeka was telling the truth. She felt sad and shook her head, then met Janeka's eyes squarely - her sarcasm evident in her next remark.

"Why do my family stories never involve embarrassing vacations in Antiva?" She gave a mock sigh.

Rilka let out a giggle, and had to clasp her hand over her mouth to stop. "Sorry," she muttered to everyone in a whisper.

Janeka frowned for a moment before turning her attention back to Faith.

"We need your help, Hawke. I've done extensive research on this darkspawn and I believe the original Wardens were wrong. He isn't a threat to humanity - he's our greatest opportunity. A darkspawn who can talk, feel, reason... He wants to help us stop the Blights."

"I don't like where this is going, Faith. This sounds too much like Amaranthine," Anders warned behind her.

Larius suddenly appeared from the shadows. "No! You must not listen to Corypheus!" He yelled at Janeka. "Corypheus cares nothing for Blights. He used you!"

"The Warden Commander! Still alive!" One of the wardens exclaimed.

"Don't listen to this...creature," Janeka hissed angrily. "He is half darkspawn himself. I know how to harness Corypheus, use his magic to end the Blights."

"No!" Larius protested. "The Wardens knew! Corypheus is too powerful!"

"You must help me, Hawke," Janeka turned to Faith. "Help us end the Blights. Surely you, of all people must understand this. Think of all the Blights over forever, no innocent people dying..."

Faith instantly was gripped with the pain as she relived her brother's death, then Bethany's in rapid succession. She shook her head as Ander's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Don't do it, love. Alyssa killed one of these emissaries. She didn't listen to its promises."

"Why would this darkspawn want to end the Blights?" Faith shot at Janeka.

"He is no mindless monster," Janeka replied calmly. "The search for the Old Gods comes at a terrible cost to his people."

"This sounds very familiar," Anders said, his eyes narrowing.

"He tricked you!" Larius chimed in. "These are not your thoughts, they are his Calling!"

"How many innocent people died in Ferelden alone?" Janeka insisted, her eyes fixed on Faith. "And that was the least of the Blights."

"No," Faith said resolutely, her eyes meeting Janeka's in a fixed, stubborn stare. "I won't help you wake this thing. Corypheus may be as great a threat as the next Blight. We can't risk freeing him."

"We'll find a way to do this with our without you, Hawke," Janeka snarled. She then called forth a wall of fire to separate her party from Hawke's. "Come," she ordered her men, then ran off to one of the tunnels nearby.

"We must beat her to the final seal. I know the way," Larius shouted excitedly. "Follow me!"

...  
>Anders had only to look at her to keep the voice away. Her face, her eyes, the swell of her breasts - it was all he could do to keep himself from taking her right then and there in front of everyone else. There was one small catch, however...they were standing in front of a very awake Corypheus, who was babbling on about acolytes and the Golden City.<p>

He blinked twice and tried to clear his mind. He could not believe he had heard correctly. After all, the story that the Chantry had been telling for ages could not be true, could it? Yet there it was, a talking darkspawn, arrogantly declaring he was a magister from Ancient Tevinter. A magister! From Ancient Tevinter! The very same Ancient Tevinter that had caused the downfall of the magisters and the Golden City. The very same Ancient Tevinter that had succumbed to the allure of power. The very same Ancient Tevinter that had heralded the first darkspawn and the coming of the first Blight. Anders blinked again.

"This cannot be true! The story of the magisters of old becoming the first darkspawn - is merely a tale from the Chantry to put more blame on the mages! No. This darkspawn must be lying!"

He could see Faith turn to look at him curiously, wondering why he was so set on disbelieving and for a moment could not believe she was reacting this way. Yet, in spite of her curious look, she immediately took his side, causing his heart to swell with love for her once again.

"This is a darkspawn. Nothing more..."

Faith's words broke a spell in the creature before them. In a flash he threw up his arms, calling to his old god Dumat and asking him to bathe him once again with his powers. A flash of bright light shone on Corypheus as they felt the power slowly come to life within him. They quickly scrambled out of the way, Larius himself doing what he did so well - disappear, and ran to one of the pillars in the far end of the room.

There were four pillar statues at the ends of the circular room, all forming a cross - Corypheus at the dead center of it. He seemed to be drawing all the power from them. Soon they were running ahead of a wall of fire that threatened to burn them and Anders saw Faith breaking the seals on each of the pillar statues, which seemed to lessen some of the power that was feeding the monster in the room.

Of course, each time she broke one of the seals, they still had to deal with the shades that quickly materialized and attacked them, but they somehow managed. Anders thought it was dumb luck at one point. He never really counted how many times they had nearly been roasted alive. But when Corypheus started to make rocks full of lightning appear, enclosing them in the now maze-like room, and ice spikes rain down on them he could not stifle the groan that had formed in his throat. The pillars at the end of the vast room had suddenly turned into safe havens for them - the only places where they were at least far from the maelstrom raging within the room.

It just kept on getting better and better.

Their fight with the monster lasted so long, he started chugging down lyrium potions automatically, and applied group healing more often than not. He lost count of how many times he had to apply rejuvenating spells. The only thought in his mind was keeping Faith and the rest of them alive. Hardly a walk in the park...

Then, when he was sure that they were all done for, a miracle happened. Faith had suddenly performed an exemplary Vendetta maneuver and the daggers had pierced the darkspawn deep inside its chest. This time the blades had struck home. The monster had staggered, which bought her time enough to bring out the key - the fantastic dagger that she had not been fighting with - and bury it in the darkspawn's head. There was a flash of light, and it fell dead onto the stone floor.

Anders rushed to Faith, applying a rejuvenating spell on her and a healing one, just to be safe. She grinned wearily up at him, her eyes warm and sparkling and he grinned back, more out of relief than anything else.

Then she was in his arms, kissing him fervently and the world as it was ceased to exist for him...

...

When Faith walked over to Corypheus, with the intention of looting him, Anders walked beside her, still holding onto her hand firmly. She spied something that glinted in the half-light of the room and quickly took it in her hand. It was an amulet with a strange seal on it, the edges worn out but still visible.

Anders gave a gasp of surprise beside her. "That amulet! No one's used that pattern since before the First Blight! It was unique to a small sect in Tevinter who worshipped the god Dumat. Corypheus was telling the truth! He really _was_ an ancient magister..." He shook his head, his amber eyes wide as he regarded her. "I always thought the Black City was just a story..."

Faith's voice was clear and resolute when she replied. "Even if it's true, it doesn't justify punishing mages over a thousand years later." The grim expression on her face indicated that she was defending her father just as much as she was defending the rest of the mages, unfairly treated over the years, and even though Anders felt like kissing her again he refrained from doing so.

"Do you think?" He frowned. "What else might the Chantry know that we don't?"

"I have a feeling you'll be staying up late to study all this," she retorted, letting a deep sigh escape her lips. "And here I thought I'd have you to myself as soon as we got home..."

He smiled, his eyes warm on her as he took her in his arms. "You are right about that," he murmured, as his lips descended to claim her own.

"Get a room, will you?" Varric grumbled behind them, while Rilka dissolved into fits of giggling.

Anders ended the kiss quickly, but did not let go, his sidelong smile sending tingling sparks all through her body as he pressed his forehead on hers. "Let's go home, love," he whispered, but the ever sharp Varric caught the comment all the same.

"It's about time you said something worthwhile, Blondie!"

...

Later, much later, when they had returned from their journey and made love passionately after a refreshing bath, Anders woke up in their bed, his hand automatically groping for her in the half-darkness of the room. He groped emptiness beside him and in a flash he was wide awake, his eyes darting around the room, wildly looking for her.

He got up out of bed when it was apparent that she was nowhere in the room, put on a loose pair of trousers, and opened the door. The sounds of gentle weeping reached his ears, and his heart went out to her.

He padded silently down the huge staircase and found her huddled form in front of the fireplace. Quietly, he crossed the room, and knelt down behind her, taking her in his arms gently. She continued to weep and he rocked her against his chest, wanting to erase all the pain she was going through.

"I wish mother had been alive. I would have wanted to speak to her about this," she finally said, her tears still on her cheeks.

"I know, love," he murmured, kissing the crown of her head gently.

"He did all this to buy our freedom. He loved us so much. He continued to show us how much he loved us all the time. Until the moment he died. I miss him. I miss mother, and Bethany too...I just...feel so alone..." she said miserably.

"Love. Listen to me." He took her head gently in his hands, forcing her to look up into his eyes. "You are not alone. I'm here. I'll always be here. For as long as I live, I'll continue to be here for you."

"That's just it, isn't it? For as long as you live. Not long enough to me..." She said sadly.

"I'll do it. I'll go through the process. The same process Alistair and Alyssa went through. I promise you."

Her eyes shot up to his once again, the hope in them made him smile and tugged at his heart strings at the same time.

"You will? Really?"

"I will. We'll have to go to Ferelden, though. A two-week journey but well worth it. And the whole process will take around six months. We can't go just yet. We have to make sure things are all right here first," he added, his brow furrowing slightly.

Her shoulders slumped dejectedly. Justice stirred deep inside him, about to berate him, but he pushed all his thoughts aside and focused on Faith.

"Of course, we _have_ taken care of all the thugs, and the circle here is quiet for the time being. We can afford to take some time off, what do you think?"

Her eyes quickly found his. They were shining brightly and full of happiness. Anders wished suddenly that he could freeze time. He smiled down at her as she hoisted herself up to claim his lips.

"I suggest we head back to our room. I wouldn't want anyone finding us here, would you?" he murmured in between kisses.

...

_**A/N: Yes, I know, I know what you are all going to say...What? What about the circle? Well...please remember all this is happening during the three-year gap. So, since it's the three-year gap, which we don't see in the game, I decided to include a trip to Ferelden. A romantic one too. *giggles***_

_**I notice a lot of people have put this on their favorites, thank you so much! But I would love more reviews. Not for me, for my muse. She loves reviews - they feed her... :P **_

_**I also know I've left out what became of the small group of wardens and Larius in this chapter. I thought that I would leave it out on purpose, since most of you probably have already played Legacy and know what happens. Also, as I have stated many times before, this focuses mainly on Faith and Anders as a couple, so this is the main reason for me jumping 'ahead' in this chapter, so to speak. **_

_**Thanks so much to everyone reading this fic and following it! :D I'll be updating again in a few days, if I can! ;) **_


	35. Ferelden

_**Thanks so much for your reviews: LadyDarksbane, darkkchylde, and Darkchubb! All of you are 'dark'...loving it! :D A huge thanks to all those who continue to list this fic on their favorites as well! :D **_

_**Smut at the end of this chapter, NSFW so you have been warned! :D **_

**_This is a special chapter to me because of the reunion between Alistair, Alyssa and Anders. If you've read Dragon Age Revisited, you'll understand what I mean! :D There will be more of the king and queen in later chapters, especially after all the in-game events take place..._**

_**Yep, Bioware still owns! **_

Chapter 35 - Ferelden

The journey to Ferelden would have been perfect for Anders if not for Justice. He gave Anders the worse time he had ever given him, so that when they finally saw the docks of Denerim come to view, Anders actually breathed an audible sigh of relief.

Faith looked up when she heard Anders sighing, her lips pressed together tightly in a thin line as she took in the pained features on Anders's face, the dark circles under his eyes more prominent than ever in the morning light.

"I kind of wish we hadn't come. I didn't know Justice would be this difficult to handle, love," she murmured, a hand automatically coming up to stroke his cheek.

"He thinks I'm abandoning the cause, leaving it all behind. I've tried to tell him it's not like that at all, but -" Anders sighed again, looking tired and drawn. "It doesn't matter, really. We're finally here."

The day was bright and sunny, and they could make out the Palace building in the distance as they made their way up the Lower Docks into the Market District. The hum of the busy morning drowned out everything else along the way. Screams of the vendors on the streets made them both smile when they caught the Fereldan accents and Anders reached out and pulled Faith closer as they picked their way through the crowd.

Across from where they were standing, Anders could see the bridge that led into the alienage. The gates at the entrance to the bridge and alienage were gone, and there were no guards around.

"Alyssa told me they had demolished the gates into the alienage. They want to help the elves as much as possible," he murmured.

"I think there should be someone like King Alistair in Kirkwall. Things would be so much better there if that was the case," Faith murmured back.

Anders nodded his head in agreement as they walked along the path that would eventually take them to the palace gates.

"He favors the mages, helps the elves and is trying to get the economy back on track. Alyssa is a strong queen as well. They both know what they're doing."

They crossed the bridge that led to the palace and were stopped by a guard at the gates who looked uncomfortable in his armor, no doubt due to the summer heat.

"Halt. Yer at the Palace Gates. Give your names and reason for yer presence," the guard recited mechanically, a hand on the hilt of his sword on his side.

"I'm Anders. I used to be the palace mage and an advisor to the throne. The lady here is Faith Hawke, the Champion of Kirkwall." The guard obviously didn't know about the Champion, for he didn't move, nor react accordingly. "The king and queen invited us themselves." Anders flashed the guard his most charming smile.

"But I'm also Fereldan!" Faith hurriedly added, batting her eyelashes at the guard.

The guard looked unimpressed and fixed a stony gaze on Faith before returning his attention to Anders who was now in the process of asking him to let the king and queen know that they had arrived. His gaze was now stern and cold.

"I don't know. What if yer sent to kill the king and queen?" The guard's eyes narrowed. "And 'sides, they are having an important meeting with them nobles."

Anders sighed, his hand flying to his face as his fingers pinched the bridge of his nose. This guard wasn't the brightest star to begin with and Justice was beginning to surface, for his temper was dwindling.

Faith watched Anders closely and turned to the guard, visibly bristling.

"Listen, you big oaf," she began, her temper getting the best of her. The guard blinked back at her warily. "You can see we're carrying backpacks and are exhausted. Think of what the king and queen will do to you if they discover you've kept their former advisor out of the palace? I don't think they'd like that at all..."

The guard swallowed thickly. Obviously, he had had problems before in the past. She used this to her advantage.

"In fact, I think I'll put in a good word for you, tell them that you did your job splendidly, because you treated us well and let us pass," she smiled.

But before the guard could open his mouth to respond, an officer appeared at the gates.

"Burke! What is the meaning of this?"

Faith groaned inwardly, shooting a glance at Anders who was now even more pale and sweating. "Guard Captain, Ser, they say they know the king and queen! Dunno if that's true, but they say they do, Serah!"

The officer was now regarding them quietly, a frown on his face. Faith cursed inwardly.

"Who are you and what do you want?" He asked without further preamble.

"His name is Anders, and my name is Faith Hawke. We came here because the king and queen invited us. We've come from Kirkwall, Serah, and are exhausted." Faith turned to Anders who was now shaking visibly, struggling to keep Justice at bay. The Guard Captain merely noticed a thin, pale man who looked like he was about to be sick.

"Follow me - this way, please. I'll send the message to their majesties and you will have to wait in one of the sitting rooms."

Faith gave a sigh of relief. "That's fine, really. All we want is a place to sit down."

...

"Love, are you feeling better?" Faith asked Anders, her hand stroking his forehead and hair softly in the large, comfortable room where they had been ordered to stay.

"Having a hard time with Justice, love. Will be all right, I think," Anders replied in a strangled voice. His head was bowed and he was breathing heavily. Faith scooted closer to him and enveloped him in her arms, bringing his head down to her chest.

Anders felt his cheek on her breast and listened to the beating of her heart through her leather jerkin. He let out a sigh of relief as he felt himself relax, and Justice soon became less of a threat.

The door opened again, jerking Anders to attention, as he disentangled himself from Faith's grasp.

"I am instructed by the Guard Captain to ask if you would like something to eat or drink," the guard at the door said.

"Yes, please. It's been a while since we had anything," Faith said, her hand on Anders's shoulder, gently squeezing.

"I'll tell one of the servants to bring something. Excuse me, Messers," the guard shot back and bowed, closing the door behind him.

Soon, not one, but two servants appeared in the room, each balancing a pair of silver trays in their hands. One of them had goblets and wine on one of the trays and a pitcher of water on the other, while the other servant held a spread of sweetmeats, cheeses, bread and several other delicacies on the trays that made Faith's mouth water. They set the trays on the table before them and curtseyed as they left, closing the door behind them.

As soon as they were alone, both Faith and Anders visibly pounced at the table, eating and drinking to their hearts content. The food soon disappeared, and Anders sighed comfortably, as the color slowly returned to his cheeks.

Anders was having more water and Faith was helping herself to a goblet of fine wine, when there was another knock on the door. This time the servant spoke.

"Will you be needing anything else, Messers?" She asked softly.

"Um...if it isn't too much trouble, more to eat?" Anders asked, giving her what he hoped was a charming smile.

The servant bobbed, blushing at Anders's smile. "I'll bring back more food soon, Serah." Then she hurried out of the room.

"You do have a way with the ladies, don't you?" Faith remarked, her eyes twinkling.

"Oh, it's all that time spent at the circle. Lots of practice," he mumbled as he put the goblet up to his lips and drank again. He put the goblet back down on the table and grinned at Faith. "I'm guessing they've told Alistair and Alyssa about us, and they know we're here. They're treating us like royalty."

"A change from the guard at the door."

"He was only doing his job, love. You can't blame him for that," Anders commented.

"I was too nervous to notice, you know. I was half-expecting you to turn blue and start glowing," she said, sipping at her wine.

"Sorry, love. Justice is not at all happy with this whole trip, I'm afraid. I have managed to control him so far, though."

"I know, I'm just teasing you." Faith set down the goblet and gave him a sweet smile. "I know how hard this must be. Are you sure you want to do this now?"

"I've never been so sure of anything in my life. I _want_ to end the warden curse at least," Anders replied quietly, his hands drawing Faith close.

They were so absorbed in each other as they kissed, that they didn't hear the door opening and closing again.

"Well! Leave it to Anders to entertain himself so thoroughly as he waits," a voice that shook with mirth said.

Anders and Faith flew apart - Anders standing up quickly, his face breaking into a grin as he recognized the person who had come into the room.

"Your Highness! You're looking well," he drawled.

"Don't 'Your Highness' me, you weasel, and come give me a hug!" The dark-haired woman exclaimed extending her arms.

And Anders flew right into them, hugging her back.

...

"I wondered if I would ever meet you. I'm so glad I did," Alyssa said quietly to Faith as Anders and Alistair chatted to each other at the far end of the room.

They were in the Royal Quarters, inside the room that Alyssa and Alistair had prepared for them, and drinking and chatting amongst themselves about trivial things, happy to be together. The room was really huge, much larger than some of the rooms back at the Hawke estate, and very lavishly furnished. The huge canopy bed was set away from where they were all sitting now, but Faith was pleased when she noticed it was enormous and looked very comfortable.

Faith turned to the queen and smiled at her, unable to disguise her admiration. This woman, who had saved Anders from certain death from the Templars, had successfully ended the Blight in less than a year killing the Archdemon and surviving to tell the tale. She was the queen of Ferelden and believed in freedom for mages and for the elves. What was there not to like about her?

"Well, I've heard a lot about you, too. Ser Pounce-a-lot, for example." Faith's grin widened as Alyssa threw her head back and laughed.

Both Alistair and Anders stopped talking and gazed at them, smiles on their faces.

"Sounds like you two are hitting it off," Alistair said, his voice warm and vibrant. "Good to know."

"I think she's an excellent choice, Anders. I can see why you love her," Alyssa commented, her eyes twinkling. Anders chuckled.

"She _is_ a handful, that much is certain," he quipped, his eyes resting warmly on Faith for a few minutes, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

"Yes, well, it's rather late, and this has been a long day for everyone," Alistair smiled, walking to Alyssa's side. "We'll leave you two to it, then. We'll be waiting for you at the dining hall for breakfast tomorrow. You know where that is, Anders."

"You'll be seeing the twins again, Anders. They are nearly seven now, and adorable!" Alyssa declared proudly. "Duncan looks a lot like Alistair."

"Aww, poor Duncan," Anders smirked.

"I'm right here, you know," Alistair cried in mock indignation. He then winked at them and held out a hand to his wife, which Alyssa took, looking up adoringly at him as she did so. Alistair turned to look down lovingly at his wife as he led her to the door.

"Good night, Alistair, Alyssa. Thanks again for taking us in," Faith said.

"Good night. We'll talk about everything tomorrow." And with that they both left, closing the door behind them.

"The room is really comfortable. And look! The bathroom has a bath." Faith chatted as she took in the room with a marvelous marble, square tub in the middle. "Oh! Pipes! I guess it's the same as back home then. Would you like -"

Anders had already taken her in his arms and spun her around. His mouth devoured her and she hummed back into him, eliciting a moan from him that interrupted her from further speech. A few minutes later, he broke off the kiss, but kept his arms tight around her, his hands struggling with the buckles that held her leather jerkin in place.

"I love you," he whispered. "I love you so much, Faith."

Faith closed her eyes, and nestled her head on his chest. His scent came to her all lemon freshness, mixed in with elfroot and other medicinal herbs along with his own masculine scent. Her leather jerkin fell on the floor and his hands felt so good. They were on her shoulders, then slipped softly on to her back. His fingers fumbled with the laces of her breast band and she gave a little gasp of pleasure when he untied the laces and one of his large hands cupped her breast.

He was breathing heavily and her right hand undid his tie, fingers digging into his silky blond hair, and pulling his head back slightly so that they looked into each other eyes for a few moments, through half-closed lids. His eyes were now dark with passion and lust. She bit her lower lip and he gave a gasp and took her lips in his, sucking at her bottom lip with passion.

"I love you," he whispered again in between kisses.

"Anders," she moaned, as she tugged at his buckles impatiently. He shrugged his feathered pauldrons off, and the rest of his coat came off easily, until his tunic remained. Her fingers slipped downwards and he dipped his head to nip at her earlobe as she deftly undid the laces that held his trousers.

Kicking his trousers off, he bent down lower, till he was on his knees before her. He undid the laces and her panties slipped to the floor. Deftly, he parted her dark curls and his mouth descended on her clit.

"Oh, yes. Yes, Anders! Yes!"

Her scent was the only thing he could smell, sweet and salty and so _her_, it made his head swim with uncontrollable desire. He gave a growl and stood up, sweeping her into his arms. Her legs locked onto his waist, and he rammed his penis into her. She was wet and tight, so tight. He moaned and began to move.

"Oh, Maker! Yes! Oh, that - oh!" Faith half-screamed.

"Say my name," he grunted, taking a few steps to the wall, where she rested her back. "Say it!"

"Anders! Anders!"

"What do you want. I'll do whatever you want. Just tell me," he managed to whisper out, his breathing heavy, his voice hoarse.

"Fuck me, fuck me..." she panted.

He thrust into her moving in and out slowly. "Like this?"

"Faster, oh, Anders, please. Faster!" She bit her lower lip. He gave a half-growl and plunged deeply into her making her mewl with pleasure.

"More, more! I need you, Anders. Faster," she gasped.

He increased the speed of his thrusts, already feeling her speeding up to her climax, so he reached out across the Veil and sparks spread from his fingers, as he massaged her clit while he rode her hard. He was nearly at the edge himself, but held on, breathing hard as he waited for her walls to squeeze him. She started to convulse and that was his undoing.

"I. Love. You," he rasped out as he pounded into her, his seed spilling inside as her walls squeezed him tightly. The world exploded around them and they held on to each other desperately wanting to never let go.

Breathing heavily, Anders looked into her half-closed eyes. "That was...amazing," he whispered.

She nodded, breathing hard herself as she put a leg down. He withdrew from her, but still held on to her tightly.

"Right. Time for that bath now," he twinkled.

"I _really_ like Ferelden." Faith's voice said in sultry tones.

Anders burst out laughing.

...


	36. Avernus

Chapter 36 - Avernus

"Here it is, Anders."

Alyssa's voice was vibrant, full of emotion as she extended her hand. She was holding a small vial, which looked like it was full of a red liquid.

Anders breathing hitched as he took the vial, his hand shaking slightly.

"I can't tell you what this means to me..."

"I think I do know, actually. It's terrible how the templars can control you through this. But without this, you are free at last. No record of you will exist now. The templars won't have this over your head to search for you if you need to run for any reason."

Anders smiled gratefully at Alyssa, turning to look at Faith who was smiling up at him tenderly. He pocketed his phylactery quickly.

"I would have thought you were going to smash it first thing, not put it in your pocket," Alistair commented around a mouthful of bread and cheese.

"Wouldn't want to stain your lovely stone floors, Your Majesty," Anders retorted, his voice shaking with suppressed mirth.

"So _that's_ what they had that you wanted to get," Faith mused. "I remember you mentioning this. I gather this means you are a common man now, right?"

"Common enough to even marry," Anders blurted out.

Faith stopped eating, suddenly seeming to be made of stone, whereas Alistair choked on his food and had to take a generous gulp of tea - which was hot - burning his tongue in the process. Alyssa just sat there and grinned, her eyes like twin stars.

"Aha! Behold the real reason for this journey!" Alyssa crowed. "You want to get married! Our Anders, notorious flirt and sex addict, wants to get married!" She clapped her hands together laughing.

Anders blushed a bright red, and Alistair joined his wife, chuckling at the look on his favorite apostate's face.

"I - well that is to say, um - " Anders began to say when the doors to the grand dining hall opened and two small figures darted across the room.

"Mamma! Da!" The boy called out, hugging his mother and father in turn, while the little girl did the same. The children stopped when they noticed Anders and Faith, staring at them shyly.

"Duncan, Aurora, this man sitting on my left is the man who was there when you were both born. He is your Uncle Anders and loves you both very much," Alistair said, smiling affectionately at his children.

The little boy really did look much like a miniature Alistair, while the little girl with chestnut hair looked like both her parents. Duncan had bright amber eyes, and Aurora's eyes were dark blue. They smiled shyly up at Anders, who left his chair and was now crouched in front of them both, holding out his hand to Duncan.

Duncan took it and shook it, and Anders then held out his hand to Aurora.

"Prince Duncan, Princess Aurora, it is wonderful to see you both again," Anders smiled.

The little girl took Anders's hand shyly, and then giggled when he shook it solemnly.

"I'm glad to see how much you've grown. Last time I saw you you were both this small." He extended his hands a bit, to show them what he meant.

"So little?" Aurora whispered, her eyes round as saucers.

"Yes, very." Anders replied, a grin on his face.

"Do you know any games?" Duncan quizzed.

"I do. But we're in the middle of breakfast right now," Anders replied.

Both Duncan and Aurora pouted, so Anders immediately wiggled his fingers and a small, glittering rainbow appeared over the children's heads. They clapped and tried to catch it, laughing. Anders had a smile on his face as he sat back down to continue eating.

A servant had entered the room, she was curtesying low now as she spoke to Alistair and Alyssa.

"I'm sorry for the interruption, Your Highnesses. They wanted to see you before taking their baths and getting on with their lessons."

"It's all right, Maura," Alyssa said, now hugging her daughter tightly. "I'll be there soon anyway, as soon as breakfast is over with."

"We can all play games this afternoon," Faith smiled. The children smiled back at her and Duncan even nodded. Then, they were led away by Maura, stopping to wave once at Anders and Faith before disappearing through the door.

"Good with children, did you notice?" Alyssa shot at Faith who was grinning.

"I'm a healer," Anders replied nonchalantly. "It's my business to be good with adults and children alike."

"Let the man breathe a bit, will you?" Alistair chuckled.

"I will, as soon as I get the details," Alyssa replied coyly.

"You're relentless, aren't you?" Her husband shot back, clearly amused with her reply.

"Oh, I know how relentless she is, believe me," Anders shrugged. "What I'm really interested is in the potion that helped you get past the taint."

"We know," Alyssa nodded.

"No side effects so far?" Anders inquired, leaning forward expectantly.

"None whatsoever." Alistair said. "We sleep well, and contrary to what Genitivi told us, haven't really contracted any major illnesses, other than the occasional cold. But very randomly, and infrequently."

"I'm with child again, too," Alyssa smiled warmly at her husband.

"That's wonderful news!" Faith cried.

"Congratulations to the both of you," Anders grinned. "So, no side-effects and healthy. That's good to know."

"You should speak to Genitivi though. He's living here in the palace now, continuing his research. We don't know what the effect could be in your case, Anders," Alyssa frowned.

"Justice," Anders sighed.

"Exactly. We don't know how that would work," Alistair said, a serious look on his face.

"Is Avernus still alive?" Anders asked.

"Yes, he is, despite telling us he didn't have long to live. And he's still at the peak." Alyssa replied.

"Amazing. He must be well over two hundred, right?"

"Don't know, Anders. Never asked him," Alistair shrugged. "Last time we visited, which was about two weeks ago, he was looking quite drained and very old. I suggest you head off and pay him a visit soon - just to be on the safe side."

Anders nodded, his brow furrowed with thought.

"Yes, I think we may just do that."

...

They spent a week at the palace, enjoying themselves and resting. Anders took it upon himself to make the children scream with laughter whenever he played hide and seek with them and Faith, Alyssa smiling on as she saw their happiness. Alistair was often in meetings and doing other kingly things, so he would miss this more often than not.

At the end of the week Anders and Faith decided to make the journey to the northwest, up to Soldier's Peak . They told Alyssa and Alistair of their decision two days before they left.

"It's a real pity Zevran isn't around. I'd feel much safer if he came with us," Anders mused, a smile on his face remembering the elven assassin who had been a close friend of his.

"Who knows where he is now," Alistair frowned. "The whole idea is awfully silly, if you ask me. Doing away with the Crows to get them off your back isn't really sane, is it?"

"Oh, I don't know. It's not like he's taking them all down, now is it?" Anders shrugged, then his eyes widened slightly when he saw the answer on Alistair and Alyssa's faces.

"Don't tell me he actually went looking for them to kill them all!" He exclaimed, horrified.

Alyssa nodded, biting her lower lip in concern.

"And you didn't stop him?"

"Anders, you know Zevran. How exactly do you think we could have stopped him from doing anything?" She shook her head.

"True, that. But at least you sent some guards with him?" Hope was quickly extinguished when Alistair shook his head sadly.

"You know what Zevran is like, Anders. The only thing he said was he wouldn't be able to surprise anyone if he wandered around with a regiment of soldiers."

"Then he left a day early, so we wouldn't go ahead and send soldiers with him anyway. We never even knew that he had left...until it was too late..." Alyssa added.

"Maker's balls," Anders cursed sadly.

"Have you heard from him at all?" Faith asked hopefully, trying to at least lighten the mood in the room.

"Zevran told us that the only way we would find out anything about him was if we got the news he had...died," Alyssa said quietly, her gaze on the floor.

Anders sighed, shaking his head. After a few moments of silence, he looked up only to find Alyssa staring miserably at the floor, while Alistair was rubbing her back, whispering something in her ear from time to time.

"What is it? Don't tell me you already got the bad news that he's dead?" Anders breathed out quickly.

"No, no. It's nothing," Alistair said quickly, but Alyssa gave a gasp and buried her face in her hands.

"That looks like something to me," Anders retorted, crossing his arms and waiting for either of them to speak.

Alistair shook his head sadly, trying to get Alyssa to lift her head and smile. "Come on, love," he whispered. "It's not like she's never coming back."

"Who's not ever coming back? What the blazes are you talking about?" Anders demanded.

"It's Fergus," Alistair said softly.

"What's wrong with Fergus? Is he ill or something?" Anders asked in shock.

"No, no. It's not that," Alyssa replied, looking up at Anders quickly. "It's Leliana. Therefore, Fergus is a mess right now."

"What happened to Leliana?" Anders asked, somewhat calmer. He had met Fergus whilst escaping to the north, on the way to Amaranthine, and had nursed him back to health. Fergus considered him a brother.

"Well, she's gone, that's what. They had been trying so hard to have children for years. And then one day she woke up and told Fergus that she had heard the voice of the Maker, and had to leave."

"Andraste's knickerweasels!" Anders cursed.

"Who is Leliana?" Faith inquired interestedly.

"She travelled with us around Ferelden during the Blight. She helped us fight the archdemon," Alistair explained kindly.

"She was like a sister to me," Alyssa's sad voice cut in. "She met Fergus after the Blight was over and they fell in love, and got married."

"I can't believe she heard the voice of the Maker, is she for real?" Faith asked.

"Oh, yes. She heard it before. He told her to follow us and help us. She told us about this when we met her in Lothering," Alyssa said in a matter-of-fact tone. Faith bit her lower lip to keep herself from laughing outright. Anders saw this and smiled, then quickly glanced up at Alyssa, hoping she hadn't caught his smile. He was relieved to see that she was back to staring at the floor. Alistair, however, was grinning from ear to ear.

"Wait, you were actually in Lothering?" Faith asked excitedly. "I lived there, you know. My family ran from the darkspawn during the Blight. We fought them, as a matter of fact. Come to think about it, my sister, Bethany _did_ mention a Sister Leliana a couple of times..."

"That was the Leliana we met and recruited, I'm sure," Alyssa said.

"I don't understand why we didn't run into you. We spent a whole day in Lothering," Alistair commented.

"So, Fergus is upset, I take it?" Anders queried patiently.

"Oh, yes. He was terribly smitten by her. He loves her dearly. You know this," Alyssa frowned darkly at him and he blinked back at her.

"Yes, of course. I was...just asking," Anders replied hastily. A few moments of awkward silence passed, where nobody dared ask anything. Then Alyssa sighed.

"I suppose it's not that terrible. She writes to him weekly. She's in Orlais, studying and praying, under the supervision of the Divine."

"Well, poor girl. I wouldn't go near the Divine, even if I had to kill her," Anders shot out, his eyes narrowing slightly, while Justice rose majestically to the occasion.

_The Chantry and the Templars must be destroyed! There is no other way! _

"Shut up, Justice!" Anders practically growled.

"He's there, really there, isn't he?" Alyssa said, totally mesmerized, as she saw Anders skin start cracking and glowing blue.

"I'm barely controlling him," Anders said, breaking into a sweat. He gave a strangled cry and black smoke formed around his feet as Justice overtook him completely.

Alyssa stood up and walked over to Anders, who had whisked out his staff, his eyes now glowing blue. Alyssa put her hands on her hips and looked at him squarely in the eyes.

"Um, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Faith began, but Alyssa paid no heed.

"Justice!" She shouted. "Why don't you calm down and understand that there is a time and a place for everything?"

"Warden Commander?" Justice blinked at Alyssa.

"You can't change everything right now. These things take time, and careful planning. Remember you were a warrior once!" Alyssa practically growled at Justice.

Justice said nothing, merely glared at Alyssa, then slammed the staff down on the stone floor.

"You owe me! I helped you in the Fade, and helped you defeat the Countess! Don't you dare try to hurt any of us!"

"The mages need our help! Anders won't listen and does nothing!"

"The time isn't right. Things that are this important need careful planning and strategy. You do remember about strategy, don't you, Justice?

Justice faltered. "Yes, Warden Commander."

"Then stop being so impatient. Learn to calm yourself. The Justice I know would never dare harm an innocent. Keep this in mind," Alyssa said softly.

Justice said nothing but Anders doubled over, falling on his hands and knees, breathing heavily. Faith helped him get up without saying a word. She still could not believe what had just transpired.

"I - I didn't hurt anyone, did I?" Anders asked as soon as he could, his eyes darting nervously on each one of them in turn.

"No, Anders, everything is fine," Alyssa said soothingly, patting his arm. "Don't worry about it."

...

The trip to Soldier's Peak was uneventful, possibly because Alistair had sent a small regiment of soldiers with them, just to make sure they made it safely there. It didn't take them more than three days to reach the keep because they were travelling in a carriage, and the guards were on horses. Anders had a smile on his face the whole trip there. In fact, he had started to smile when Faith had told him the whole conversation the queen and former Commander of the Grey had had with Justice. Faith hadn't seen him this happy in a while which made her feel even happier.

They stopped when the fortress came into view, its stone walls thick, dark and foreboding in the afternoon sun. Faith's mouth was slightly parted in surprise.

"This belongs to the Grey Wardens, doesn't it?" She asked in a meek voice.

"Technically, it does. I imagine they'll soon start moving over here when nobody fits in Amaranthine anymore."

"I wonder why we never stopped by Vigil's Keep on our way here?" Faith asked curiously.

"I didn't exactly leave on the best of terms, love."

"They shouldn't have allowed Templars in to begin with," Faith replied darkly.

Anders said nothing, getting off the carriage and helping her down. They grabbed their backpacks and trudged up the hill to the entrance of the keep in silence. He led her through the silent halls and up several sets of stairs. Faith moved closer to him and shuddered, just before they reached Avernus's tower.

"It used to be worse. The Veil was torn here. Severely torn. Alistair and Alyssa took care of it, fortunately," Anders murmured, as he kissed the crown of her head briefly, giving her a squeeze before letting her go.

"I'll bet it was haunted, too."

"It was."

"I should not have said that," Faith responded, her gaze darting around nervously as she peered into the shadowed cobwebbed corners.

Anders smiled and took her hand. "I have to warn you. Avernus is a bit...um...eccentric."

"Wonderful," Faith deadpanned, controlling the shivering fear that was creeping forward from the pit of her stomach.

"Nothing to worry about, really. He's totally harmless. Even if he is a blood mage who killed his warden companions a couple of hundred years ago," Anders grinned.

"Any chance he turns into a werewolf and howls at the full moon?" Faith asked nervously.

"Alyssa lifted the werewolf curse during the Blight," he replied cheerfully. "I guess we're safe from that."

The door to Avernus's study creaked open, and Faith tightened her grip on Anders without realizing it.

"Ow! That hurts, you know!" Anders complained.

"Who's there? Don't you dare interrupt my concentration!" A voice croaked, making Faith literally jump.

"Avernus?" Anders called out.

A wizened, bald man crept into their line of vision, dressed in vivid purple and blue robes. His ears stuck out and his eyes had a soulful expression. The dark circles under his eyes and his pale color all indicated that he was exhausted and possibly ill. Faith relaxed her grip on Anders as she regarded the mage before her sadly.

The mage narrowed his eyes as he looked at Anders. Then a memory stirred in his brain and his eyes suddenly shone brightly. He broke into a genuine smile and nodded.

"Anders. I remember you." His eyes fell on Faith and his smile vanished. "I don't know _you_, however."

"My name is Faith Hawke, Avernus. I'm pleased to meet you," Faith smiled at him.

"Ah. You've come with him, have you?" The old mage shuffled and pointed to three dusty chairs, which were in front of a strong wooden desk. They all sat down. "I'd call for refreshments, but the servants are all out for the day."

Anders burst out laughing.

"Still the same Avernus, I see," he grinned.

"Yes, my boy. When you reach a certain age, change is...somewhat difficult," Avernus replied, giving him a wide smile.

"I daresay I'd be less happy to see you if you had changed," Anders replied.

"Hmm," Avernus hummed, his bright gaze falling on Anders, then Faith, then back on Anders. "I won't ask you what brings you here, because I already know. And quite frankly, I don't know if what I'm going to tell you next will be what you are hoping to hear."

...

_**Sorry about the cliffhanger...lol. **_

_**We'll be seeing a lot of Alistair and Alyssa, mainly after the key events of the game happen. You don't really have to read Dragon Age Revisited (based on origins)in order to understand what will happen. Even though this is an important change to the game, there is still more to come.**_

_**Thanks again to all of you who are following this fic! :D **_


	37. Genitivi

_**My deepest thanks to my beta, PheonRen. If it wasn't for her fantastic editing skills, this fic would not be readable! Hugs to you, sweetie! :D **_

_**Thanks to all who are following the fic, and have it on their favorites, and to my trusty reviewers as well! :D **_

_**Disclaimer: Bioware owns everything. I just play with the characters, lol. **_

Chapter 37 - Genitivi

Faith frowned when she heard Avernus's words. She stole a glance at Anders, whose eyes held a hint of sadness in them.

"What do you mean not hoping to hear? Is it that bad, then?" Anders asked softly, a resigned slump in his shoulders.

"It can be done. You can successfully stop the taint from progressing, thus enabling you to live a somewhat normal life. You would not go through the Calling, and would have more time to live, however you see fit," Avernus said, nodding at Anders. He paused, a finger on his chin as he regarded Anders thoughtfully for a few moments. "This spirit you host...he has experienced life before, has he not?"

"How do you know this?" Anders asked. He then shook his head. "Never mind that. I guess you get your answers from the spirits or demons around you, right?"

"Is it really that important to you how I get my answers?" Avernus retorted. "That should be of no consequence to you. What really matters is that I know and fully understand what you host. The spirit inside you has undergone a change. He is no longer the spirit of Justice. _This_ is what you must understand. _This_ is what will make matters too difficult."

Anders swallowed and nodded. Hope somehow seemed a long way off and unreachable and he fought the tears that threatened to fall as he asked his next question.

"So, while Justice is inside me, this cannot be done, is that what you are saying?"

"I did not say it cannot be done, you impatient boy," Avernus said. "But I will say I would not do it if I were you. This spirit has had a good taste of life, and your anger has corrupted it and turned it into something warped beyond a simple mortal's encounter in a lifetime. This spirit of Justice would lash out like an animal, making the entire process life-threatening."

"I could die?"

"Do you remember what the king and queen went through?" Avernus shot back at him, his eyes intense on his.

"I don't think I could ever forget." Anders swallowed again, briefly rubbing his forehead.

"Well, do you remember the fevers that burned through their ravished bodies at the end? Do you remember the state their bodies were in? Or the way they could not refrain themselves from the depraved acts they committed?"

A gasp escaped Faith's lips, but Avernus ignored her and continued speaking.

"If this Justice is inside you, your body will be ravished to the death if you survive the first months of the treatment. In the end, if you do survive everything, the fever will finally kill you. The fact that this spirit augments your powers and strength is counterproductive in this case. While this spirit is inside you, you won't have a chance of surviving at all."

...

Their trip back to Denerim was silent - at least on Anders's part, shrouded in sadness and despair. Anders hardly acknowledged Faith nor paid any attention to her at all, his mind a thousand miles away, his entire demeanor one of a man who was doomed. Faith did her best to keep talking. She felt that even though Anders was giving no indication that she was at his side, he knew and kept his sanity only because she was talking and squeezing his hand, or leaning in to give him an occasional peck on the cheek.

They arrived at the palace, where Anders successfully ignored the king and queen and headed off to the chamber that had been assigned to them, leaving Faith, Alistair and Alyssa behind, staring at his hasty retreat.

"Bad news, I take it?" Alistair rumbled quietly.

"Avernus says it can't be done while Justice is inside him," Faith replied, struggling to keep her tears from flowing.

Alyssa gave a soft cry and took one of her hands in her own, squeezing it reassuringly. "I'm sorry, Faith," she murmured softly.

"The trip back was terrible. I think he wants to speak to Genitivi and this is the reason we came back here at all. Otherwise, we'd be on our way to Kirkwall, I'm sure."

"I've never seen him this sad or dejected before," Alyssa replied. "This is new to me."

"He has his moments when the depression he feels lashes out. On those days, he is moody, quiet and quick-tempered," Faith admitted, the tears coming at last.

"I'm sorry," Alyssa mumbled again, while Alistair looked on, the sadness and concern evident in his amber eyes. "Let's sit for a while, and talk."

Before Faith had a chance to protest, she found herself being led to another one of the palace's sitting rooms. Soon she was sitting beside the queen on a cushioned settee, while Alistair had one of the servants bring in some refreshments and ordered her to have someone else take a tray full of food and water to Anders.

"I'm sure he's hungry. It's a warden thing," Alistair smiled, before sitting on a chair across from the settee.

"The worst part is that he was doing this for me. I feel so guilty!" Faith exclaimed miserably.

"You shouldn't feel guilty for wanting to spend more time with him, dear," Alyssa said hurriedly. "We tried that, Alistair and I, and discovered guilt was not the way to go."

Faith managed a watery smile. There was a knock on the door and the servants entered, carrying trays of food and drink. They curtseyed and left in silence.

"Try the cheese. Cheese makes everything better," Alistair offered hopefully. Faith found herself smiling again as she declined the tray full of slices of different cheeses. The king seemed shocked for a few moments, before helping himself to the cheese.

"The point here is that he _wants_ to do it, and it _can_ be done," Alyssa said in a determined tone.

"Anders told me once that he doesn't think Justice can ever be separated from him. He'd have to die in order for that to happen," Faith responded, shaking her head.

"Oh, I don't know about that. We've been talking to Genitivi when you two left," Alyssa smiled. "He has some interesting information about the whole matter."

At this point the door opened. Anders stood there, looking at the three of them. There were traces of tears on his flushed face.

"We're leaving first thing in the morning," he said quietly, not really looking at any of them.

"Wait! Anders!" Faith called out. But it was no use.

Anders had already left.

...

Brother Genitivi turned the pages of the volume he was reading and smiled. He was so absorbed in his task, he did not hear the knock on his door, nor see the queen enter the room shortly afterwards.

"Brother Genitivi."

The scholar looked up quickly, confused at finding the queen standing over him.

"Your Highness! I did not hear you entering the room," he began, but Alyssa held up her hand, a smile on her face.

"No worries, I understand. I'm here because I need your help."

"Of course, my queen. Anything you need..." Genitivi said quickly, a smile on his face.

"Remember the...um...mage we told you about?"

The good brother's brow creased, deep in thought for a few moments. His eyes lit up again when he seemed to have finally remembered what the queen meant.

"Of course! The mage with the 'spirit' living inside him! I remember now. We talked for a long time about his demise. Is there anything else you would like to know?"

"Actually, I came here asking for a favor. The mage in question is here in the palace," Alyssa retorted, smiling affectionately at the scholar who had a surprised look on his face.

"A favor, Your Majesty?" Brother Genitivi asked, a hint of suspicion in his eyes.

"I'd like you to go talk to him. Tell him everything you told us that day. Can you do this?"

"I can do this. Just point me the way, and I'll head to his room immediately."

"Excellent," Alyssa nodded, a grin plastered all over her face. "I knew I could count on you. Just remember, you must tell him _everything_."

...

Faith sat beside Anders and tried again to get him to talk. He had just finished packing and was sitting on the large bed, staring at the opposite wall.

"Anders," she sighed, trying unsuccessfully to get him to look at her. She shook her head. "At least look at me..." Her voice had a tinge of desperation in it.

"Faith. When we get to Kirkwall, I'll leave for Darktown."

"What? No!" Faith protested, her eyes wide with shock.

"It's no use continuing our relationship. Not while I am most surely going to die from the taint - if I last long enough to reach my Calling and not die beforehand, that is."

"I don't care! I'll take any number of years you have left. I'll die without you, you know this." She was crying. Quietly, though, so he had no way of knowing this, since he was keeping his eyes on the wall in front of him.

"I don't want to hurt you more than I have so far. It's killing me," Anders sighed and bowed his head.

"Anders, I don't want to let you go. Besides, you can go through with this if and when you and Justice are separated."

Anders let out a laugh that sounded like a strangled cry. "And you know how easy it would be to accomplish _that_."

"I'm sure it can be done! I refuse to believe it would be impossible to do!" Faith argued, her voice high-pitched, laden with emotion.

Anders turned to look at her and noticed her tears. His heart sank. Of all the things that hurt him the most, was the pain he felt whenever he saw her crying. That she was crying because of him made it even worse. For a few moments he struggled, trying to control the emotion that was coursing through his entire being. Then he gave up.

"Maker's breath," he muttered, standing and pulling her into a tight embrace. "I love you too much. Maker help me, I'm lost without you, myself. I'm so sorry. I keep on hurting you without meaning to."

Faith gave a sigh of relief into his chest, her tears finally coming to an end in the warm security of his arms. She rubbed her cheek on the feathered part of his coat, and his grip tightened around her.

"I love you," she said softly, one of her hands absentmindedly stroking the feathers. "I knew what you were when I fell in love with you. I know what loving you means. But I refuse to give up. Call me stubborn, but that is what I am. If loving you means walking down a path into the fires of hell, then so be it. I'll gladly walk with you by my side."

He lifted her chin and his amber eyes bore into her with such an intensity, she smiled.

"Maker's breath, Faith. I don't deserve your love." And with those words, his lips descended on hers.

There was a knock on the door, and Anders disentangled himself from her grasp and strode over to open it wide.

A man with a bald spot and kind eyes stood there, smiling benevolently.

"Hello. You must be Anders. My name is Genitivi," the man said, his smile turning into a wide grin as he stepped into the room.

"Brother Genitivi?" Anders repeated dumbly.

"I think we have a lot to talk about. You could shut the door first, though. Everyone in the palace thinks I'm addle-brained or batty-crazy, and if they hear this, it would only fan the flames." He paused, registering the confusion on Anders's face. "What I mean is... well, you know." Another pause and a sigh. "If they hear what I'm going to say, it would...add to the ever-growing list of what they say about me."

Anders nodded and stepped aside, while Genitivi sighed a bit as he stepped into the room. Faith hurried to shut the door.

Brother Genitivi made his way to the comfortable settee and sank down into it, sighing again as he did.

Anders stood across from where he was sitting, his head tilted as he regarded the good brother curiously.

"The queen sent you here, didn't she?" It was a question, but one that Anders knew the answer to, so he wasn't really surprised at Genitivi's assenting nod.

"But I did want to meet you. I think your case is _fascinating_," the scholar replied.

"My case?" Anders snarled.

"Oh, I don't mean to offend. I'm on your side," the brother held up his hands defensively. "I understand what you are going through better than most, actually."

Anders crossed his arms, frowning darkly.

"But it's quite possible you don't understand it fully, so I'm here to help you with that. This spirit, which you say is the spirit of Justice is not a demon, though most will probably call him that - even long after he ceases to exist in this mortal plane, if that were the case. According to what the queen told me, he once inhabited the body of a dead man, so he's never really had to deal with human emotions so vividly. Emotions and spirits don't go hand in hand. All these intense emotions have created a change in this spirit of Justice. He'll also lash out more and more as time goes by." Genitivi then stopped speaking, while Anders sat on a chair next to the settee, and nodded. Faith sat on the chair opposite, waiting for the brother to continue.

"Nothing that you are saying now is different from what I already know," Anders commented. "How exactly will this help me?"

"Well, I happen to know a bit about spirit possession. And I know of a place where spirit possession is practiced successfully, without harming either the host or the spirit." The brother then dug out a tome from his robe, looking at it fondly before extending it over to Faith, not Anders.

"I suggest you read this, my Lady. But I must insist that Justice never get his hands on it. It's imperative to keep the spirit in the dark, you see. He will misinterpret anything around him as a threat to both him and the cause."

Anders chuckled. "Justice is already aware of everything you are saying. He and I are -"

"One, I know," Genitivi said cheerfully. "But there are moments when he seems to be gone, am I right?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say 'gone'. More like dormant, really."

"Those moments will cease to exist if you continue to let him inhabit your body. He will eventually control you completely to get what he wants."

"I hardly think that there is a way to separate him from me," Anders chuckled again.

"Well, _that's_ where this gets interesting," Genitivi grinned, turning to Faith. "Read the book. It has all the information you require. There _is_ a way, and there is a place."

The good brother stood up, still smiling as his eyes took in their surprised features.

"I'll be in my study, should you need to speak to me at a later date."

And then he left the room, leaving them both sitting there in a state of mild shock.

...


	38. Memories and Secrets

_**So...the time has come for one of the MAJOR twists in this fic. It is something that should have happened later, but I made it happen now because I modified the plot a bit when I thought about adding something else. I know I'm babbling here, but trust me, it will make sense when you read what is coming in later chapters. **_

_**I want to thank everyone who has put this fic on their favorites list and alerts; and my trusty reviewers as well! **_

_**Special thanks to PheonRen's awesome editing skills! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything. If I owned anything, I probably would be living on a deserted island with Anders and Alistair...lol **_

Chapter 38 - Memories and Secrets

Hope is a strange thing.

Long after Genitivi had left, even though Anders knew that he would not touch the book, that he would not ask for it; even though he was still shocked beyond words...the golden glimmer of hope had started to spread in a tingling feeling - causing him to feel giddy, reckless and invincible all at once.

His eyes caught hers, and held. She was smiling at him, her eyes warm and moist - the tears of happiness not quite falling, but at the point where they made her eyes shine brilliantly. He chuckled, then threw back his head and laughed, and she giggled.

He got up gracefully, and taking two steps reached her side, then pulled her up into his arms, kissing her passionately. He felt her rush of excitement and the gasps and little moans that escaped her lips caused him to chuckle as his lips gently slid down her cheek, towards her earlobe. Soft words of love were whispered into her ear, hands that lovingly traced patterns on her back tightened with passion, and she cried out that she loved him, causing him to chuckle again and nip her ear gently.

A knock on their door brought them apart and Anders sighed.

"It seems we're destined to be separated today," he said, shaking his head with a smile on his face.

"My turn to open the door this time," Faith retorted, her eyes twinkling as she wriggled out of his grasp and opened the door.

"Dinner is served and the king and queen are expecting you at the table, Messers," the servant said meekly as soon as Faith opened the door. She curtseyed and hurried off before Faith had a chance to say thank you.

"Well. I guess we'll have to go to dinner then and resume later, yes?" Faith declared playfully.

Anders fell in step beside her, closing the door to their room behind them, his arm immediately falling on her shoulder as he walked towards the dining room with her, a song in his heart and his steps light.

...

Faith read the book later that night, while Anders was sleeping. She didn't like hiding things from him, or doing things secretly, but Genitivi had pressed that it was imperative she should be the only one to read it. She knew that Justice already knew very well what Genitivi had told them, but it was obvious that the spirit did not consider him a threat. He was, after all, a little man, seemingly on the batty side. Justice was arrogant, and probably brushed him aside as a potential threat.

Anders, however, was something entirely different. She was used to his mood swings now, but she could not shake the impression that he was holding on a little too tightly to Genitivi. True, his words had been hopeful, but what did they know anyway? And who, for that matter was Genitivi? The king and queen trusted him, undoubtedly...but what if he were wrong? What if it was all false hope to begin with? Faith suppressed a shudder, she did not want to wake Anders up.

She moved silently to the table next to the bed, and sat down on one of the chairs that was nearby. She simply had to make sure that it was going to be alright. She had to know in order to fuel or dampen his hope at this early stage. There was no other way. Glancing at Anders to make sure he was still fast asleep, she turned back to the book and opened it.

Not an hour later, she was putting it down, closing it with a bewildered expression on her face. Maker above! The fact was that it _could_ be done, and Justice could indeed be separated from Anders - something that Anders probably had never given a second thought to. But in order to do it, they needed a lot of time and Genitivi was right: Justice should not know about it until they were at the very place they had to be for the ritual to take place. Fortunately, the people who could do it were apparently very skilled mages. She had no doubt that many of them knew and could perform an excellent sleeping spell, far more powerful than the one Merrill could cast.

She felt her heart filling with hope again. Only this time she knew for sure that the hope she was feeling was not a false one.

Anders stirred in his sleep and she turned to look at him, her gaze soft and loving. He was mumbling something, so she quickly stood up and tucked the book away safely in her backpack, intending to return it to Genitivi in the morning. She saw his hand grope around the bed for her, and she promptly rushed to the bed and managed to slip under the covers, just as his eyes flew open.

"Love," he said with slurred speech. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is nearly perfect now," she assured him.

"What?" He blinked sleepily at her.

"I read the book."

"Oh."

That one syllable held so much more meaning. She could almost hear what he was thinking.

"He was right. And we can trust him. Genitivi, I mean," she whispered.

"Well, it's good to know my heart can leap with joy without my usual pessimism cutting it short," he replied, a smile on his face as he shut his eyes and nestled closer to her.

"I love you, Anders." But he never did reply. He was already fast asleep.

...

They left two weeks later, and surprisingly headed towards the north again.

"Where are we going? Shouldn't we be taking the next ship to Kirkwall?" Faith asked as Anders laced his fingers with hers and tugged her to the path that led out of the city.

"I thought we could travel for a bit before we headed home, love," he grinned.

Faith could clearly see he had a place in mind, but did not press him to reveal it to her. She merely nodded and allowed herself to be led out of the city, travelling along the North Road.

After walking for a long while, they spotted a lovely clearing, where the trees formed a natural canopy against the elements, and decided to set up camp there. A brook could be heard laughing along its way nearby and Anders smiled as he put up their tent. They decided to take a swim in the brook and then prepare a late dinner.

Anders was in a playful mood, and pulled her into the cold water, eliciting screams from her and gasps, until he kissed her, the heat of his caresses pushing everything else from her mind. They struggled to make it to the shore, only to lay on the wet bank and make love to each other. Once they were done, they lay side by side, looking up at the winking stars above them.

"Dinner?" Anders asked hopefully. She smiled and he stood up, pulling her into a tender embrace. He kissed her gently and they soon arrived to their campsite, where they busied themselves with building a fire and dinner.

Faith fell asleep on his lap, next to the fire, the tent behind them flapping in the gentle breeze. He did not have the heart to wake her so that they could get inside the tent to sleep, so he merely remained, stroking her hair and cheek from time to time. Then, he pulled her gently to his side as he lay down, spooning her protectively and fell asleep himself, a smile playing on the corners of his lips.

...

The city of Amaranthine: A city port where ships docked and merchants sold their wares at the top of their lungs. Anders smiled as he took in the scene and memories flooded his brain.

_What are we doing here? Why aren't we in Kirkwall? _

"Shut up, Justice. I know what I'm doing," Anders replied, though not out loud. He grinned at Faith's expression as she looked up into his eyes, the surprise in them causing him to chuckle as he slid an arm around her waist.

"I kind of guessed this was where we were going," she admitted after giggling.

"You did, did you?" His hand pinched her hip playfully and she squealed, swatting at him in mock indignation.

They passed a group of merchants and Anders led her through the crowds of people up a set of steps, stopping finally at the Crown and Lion Inn. They were smiling at each other when they arrived at the counter and Anders asked for the best room.

"The price is 25 silver a night for the large room, Messer. Meals are included," the innkeeper recited mechanically.

"I'll pay for four nights, then," Anders replied, clanking a gold sovereign on the counter.

"Meals are served in the sitting room outside your room, Ser," the innkeeper smiled as he pocketed the money.

"Yes, I know," Anders grinned. "The previous owner, what happened to him?"

"He caught a disease that wasted him, while he was out at the Docks, Ser. Died six months ago."

"That's terrible!" Faith exclaimed.

The innkeeper nodded. "I'll show you to your room, Messers."

...

They lay in bed that night, hands intertwined after a particularly satisfying love-making session. They were relaxed and quiet. Anders was stroking her head from time to time, and she smiled and occasionally planted a kiss on his chest.

"What's your family name, Anders? I assume you have one, don't you?" Faith broke their silence.

She could feel him grinning, even though she couldn't see his face. "I do," he said with a hint of laughter in his voice. "It's Bachmeier. I come from a family of farmers in the Anderfels."

"Is there farming in the Anderfels? I thought the whole land was inhospitable to begin with," Faith murmured, her hand absentmindedly tracing soft patterns on his chest.

"There are a few areas where the soil is still rich enough to farm. But most of the land is still blighted and it's difficult for crops to last long there. Anyway, we moved around a lot before my father ultimately decided that we should move out completely. He had heard that the land was especially rich in Ferelden, so we headed over here, and eventually settled down in a small village in the Bannorn. I was five years old."

"I imagine you were an adorable child," she said affectionately, looking up at him adoringly.

He grinned and bent his head to kiss her forehead. "My love. Only you could see me as adorable as a child. I was a little demon." He chuckled and shook his head.

"An adorable little demon, then?" She smiled.

He laughed. "Hardly. Anyway, we lived on a small farm. The house had a large sitting room, and my parents' room was next to the kitchen. There was a wooden ladder leading up to the loft, which was my room. I loved that room. I could see for miles around, and sometimes would stay up at nights to count the stars."

"I knew there was a reason that I fell in love with you. I love watching the stars, too!" She exclaimed, causing him to ruffle her hair as he chuckled.

"As a matter of fact, our meeting and falling in love was written in the stars," he lowered his voice to a dramatic whisper.

It was her turn to laugh and she sat up, her eyes dancing at him. Sitting cross-legged on the bed, she waited for him to continue.

Anders's smile suddenly vanished. "My father was really stern with me. He'd give me chores to do, and expect me to carry them out to the letter. I was a bit of a feather-brain, too enticed with the outdoors and freedom to finish all my chores diligently. He always punished me, and my mother would always be there to defend me." A smile ghosted his lips then. His hand groped for hers and held on tightly and he swallowed.

"He would travel around a lot, to sell our harvested crops. Sometimes he would be gone for days and days. On those days I felt free, and mother and I would laugh and sing a lot. But then, father would return, and the fun days would be over."

He stopped talking, but Faith could sense he was gathering up the courage to speak. He swallowed thickly several times, struggling to get a grip on himself. When he spoke at last, his voice was a whisper.

"The day I discovered I had magic, mother was with me. I was ten years old and trying to help her mop the floors. She had cut her hand while cooking, and I ran up to her. Without really knowing what I was doing, I healed her hand and watched in fascination as her skin knitted together, seemingly by its own accord. But I had felt something inside me. A surge of power - a...connection to the Veil. I was confused and startled, but mother knew. She swept me into a hug and whispered that I should never tell father."

Faith squeezed his hand reassuringly and he looked at her, unshed tears glistening in his eyes. "I didn't understand why I should keep it a secret at first. But when father came home and he was crankier than usual, I knew. I spent the days working silently, finishing my chores quickly so I could run into the nearby forest to practice my magic. The fact that I could produce ice crystals or snow with a wave of my hand enticed me."

He paused for a few moments, and took a deep breath. "The years went by and I was twelve. One day, mother and I were in the stable, trying to help our only cow who was having a difficult time. The cow was pregnant, and the birthing process was killing her. The calf was born, and gave a gasp, only to lie still, so I ran to its side and my hands hovered over it. A blue glow burst from my hands and instantly the calf cried out and stood on its wobbly legs. I rushed to the cow's side, and healed her, too.

"When I turned to look at mother with a smile on my face, I found father was standing in the doorway. He was furious! He yelled at me and stormed out of the stable, returning with the templars two days later. Mother was crying, as they shackled me, she screamed at father. I will never forget the look of pure disgust and loathing on father's face. Before the templars dragged me away, mother managed to place the hand-embroidered pillow she had made for me when I was five in my hands, begging the templars to let me have it. They -" Anders voice faltered, and he broke down and started to weep.

Faith hurried over to him and embraced him, placing his head on her chest. He buried his head in between her breasts, still weeping, his hands holding on to her tightly.

"I'm so sorry, my love. I can't imagine how horrible it must have been," she murmured, her hands scratching his scalp soothingly. Her fingers running through his hair over and over again, while she continued to whisper she loved him and that she was here.

He calmed down after a while, then lifted his head, his warm eyes regarding her. "It feels good to share this with you, love. There's more, though."

"Are you sure you want to continue?" Faith asked worriedly.

"I'm pretty sure, since the part that is coming is the best part," he said, a smile suddenly lightening up his features.

"Huh?"

He leapt out of bed and returned with a leather pouch. Pausing only to sit back on the bed directly in front of her, he suddenly blushed, seemingly unsure of himself.

Faith's brow furrowed. Anders was never unsure of himself. What the heck was going on?

"I've never told anyone all this. I can also tell you that the templars who took me to Kinloch Hold were kind to me in their own way, if indifferent. From that moment on, I secretly vowed to escape to return to mother and get her away from father. I needn't have bothered. They moved shortly after and I never saw my mother again. But I still escaped, again and again - never wanting to settle down. I had many lovers, but never stayed long enough for a relationship to blossom. And I closed my heart to the very idea of love. The templars, they could use that against you.

"So I told myself I wasn't worthy of love. I convinced myself nobody could ever love me. Nobody would ever find me worthy - because I was a mage." His eyes looked at her lovingly and tenderly. "Then, after Amaranthine and Justice, I ran away again. I came to Kirkwall to help Karl and I met you. And everything changed. I fell in love. Truly fell in love. And the best part is that you loved me back."

Anders opened the leather pouch, and spilled the contents into the palm of his hand. Faith found herself staring at a simple golden band that sparkled. There were three tiny diamonds encrusted in the band. Her lips parted and she felt her heart hammering in her chest so loudly, she was sure Anders could hear it.

He took her hand gently and slowly put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. He gave a sigh of relief, then smiled shyly as his eyes searched her face.

"Marry me," he said in a soft voice.

Faith looked dumbly at the ring, then back at Anders, her lips still parted, her breathing fast and her heart now threatening to leap out of her throat.

"Maker! Am I dreaming?" She whispered.

"Is that a 'yes'?" Anders chuckled.

"No," Faith replied, flinging herself into his arms and kissing him hard on the mouth. "_That's_ a 'yes'!"

"Mmmm," Anders hummed, his arms wrapped around her tightly, as he caressed her cheek lovingly. "I like the way you say 'yes'." Then his lips claimed hers in a passionate kiss.

...

They were married in the Chantry two days later - alone, except for the Mother who married them and a couple of Chantry sisters who smiled all through the ceremony, for they had never quite seen a couple so in love as Anders and Faith. Anders signed the book as 'Anders Bachmeier', which brought a smile to Faith's lips. She wrote her own name beside his. They kissed and then left the Chantry, both giggling and giddy with happiness.

They purchased passage aboard a ship that was heading to Kirkwall the following morning, then made their way back to the inn, where they got drunk and laughed well into the night, making love in the wee hours of the morning. They slept on the ship, once they boarded it, and the rest of the journey proved pretty much uneventful, except for the fact that they could not keep their hands off each other.

When they finally arrived in Kirkwall five days later, they made their way through the Docks, breathing in the smell of fish and unwashed bodies, so typical of Kirkwall.

Anders would gaze at her from time to time, his eyes loving and tender, whereas Faith would dissolve into giggles. When they reached Lowtown, they were promptly ambushed by a group of bandits.

"We're home all right, " Anders yelled as he whisked out his staff.

Faith grinned at this and leapt onto the nearest bandit, her daggers slicing through his armor. At that moment, Varric appeared. He had been making his way to Hightown to pay a visit to the Merchants' Guild and was surprised to find Anders and Faith battling the bandits. He quickly unstrapped Bianca and joined the fray.

"Varric! So good of you to pop in!" Faith nearly sang.

Varric chuckled, sending a volley of arrows at the bandits. In a matter of minutes the bandits were dead. Faith looted the bodies while Anders grinned and thumped Varric on the back.

There was something different about Faith and Anders. Something that Varric could not put his finger on. He shook his head, smiling broadly.

"When did you two get here?"

"Only a few minutes ago! Some welcoming committee, huh?" Faith replied happily. "So, bandits attack during the day now?"

"Only because they knew you were here," Varric replied.

Anders merely chuckled, pulling her close. Even drenched in blood as she was now, she was beautiful.

"You two look like you've discovered hidden treasure somewhere. Care to fill me in?" Varric quizzed.

Both Anders and Faith burst out laughing. "You'll know when the moment is right," Faith said cryptically.

"I hate secrets," Varric sighed.

But Faith and Anders merely grinned back at him, not saying a word.

"I'm on my way to the Merchants' Guild. I'll walk with you to Hightown," Varric said after a few moments.

They nodded at this and the three of them set off in the direction of Hightown.

...


	39. Settling Down Again

_**Thanks so much Darkchubb, LadyDarksbane, Lorrain, xxTwilight Princess xx, and darkkchylde for your awesome reviews! :D Thanks to my lovely beta PheonRen for her awesomeness! **_

_**Merry Christmas everyone! :D**_

_**Bioware owns, as you all know...**_

Chapter 39 - Settling Down Again

They stopped in front of the Hawke estate, and Varric turned to Hawke with a smile on his face.

"I guess this is where I say 'see you two later, gotta run'," Varric quipped.

Anders had his arm draped around Faith's shoulders and grinned. He had a stupid, puppy-dog look in his eyes that made Varric's lips twitch.

"You're looking downright mellow, Blondie!" He turned to Hawke. "Listen, Hawke, I'm having some trouble with Bartrand's estate, and was wondering if you could help out..."

"Sure. What is it you want done, Varric?" Faith replied, a smile on her face.

"Well, I finally got it sold. But the buyers have been complaining about noises, things floating around the rooms and the occasional apparition. It seems like the mansion is haunted, and I need your help in remedying that."

"The atrocities Bartrand committed could have torn the Veil, for all we know," Anders said slowly, his eyes on Faith.

"Andraste's tits, I hope not!" Varric swore under his breath. "Well, I'm hoping you could find a solution for it. As in 'make it go away'."

Anders frowned. He had no experience with the supernatural.

"I don't know, Varric," Faith interjected. "I wouldn't know a thing about ghosts or trapped spirits."

"Present company excluded, of course," Varric deadpanned.

"Hey!" Anders protested. "I am most certainly not a ghost!" The indignation in his voice made Varric chuckle.

"No, you're very much alive, as a matter of fact," Faith purred, leaning in to rub her chest against his body.

Varric rolled his eyes as Anders tightened his grip on her. "Alright, alright. I don't need to see any more public displays of affection here. Well, how about it Hawke? Magic runs in your family, so I'm hoping you'll know what to do if and when we visit the estate. You up for it?"

"Sure. We'll see what we can do about it, Varric. Tell Isabela about it, if you haven't already."

"Fantastic! When do you think we can go check it out?" Varric asked eagerly.

"How about tomorrow night?" She offered tentatively, glancing up at Anders who was giving her an assenting nod.

"Tomorrow night sounds fine. I imagine you two need to...um...settle back down, or whatever," Varric waved a hand. "I'll come over with Isabela, then. See you both tomorrow."

...

Rilka squealed with delight when she caught sight of them in the foyer, rushing to give her cousin a huge hug.

"Ah, I missed you too!" Faith laughed, giving her a tight squeeze. Rilka then gave Anders a hug and whisked them to the main room where both Bodahn and Sandal greeted them warmly, and Paws jumped around barking happily.

Anders smiled at Sandal's 'Enchantment' greeting, nodding at Bodahn cheerfully a few moments later, and even bent down to scratch Paws behind the ears, earning himself a lick on the hand from the loyal mabari.

"Well, I'll just put our backpacks in the room, love. I'll have to get going after that. I want to take a look at the clinic before it gets dark."

"Yes, of course," Faith replied, then called him as he was about to ascend the stairs. "You'll probably get back late. I may be sleeping. If so, wake me up, please..."

He grinned back at her, then turned around, disappearing into their bedroom.

"Rilka, do I have news for you..." Faith giggled. Pausing only to get her gauntlets off, she threw them to the floor rather dramatically and extended her left hand to Rilka, stopping inches away from her face.

Rilka looked at her hand, and at something that glinted in the firelight, her brow furrowed in thought. For a moment she looked confused. Then her eyes widened. "Is that a ring, Cousin?"

"You are _so_ observant," Faith chuckled. Then the sound of footsteps on the stairs made her turn her head to grin and look lovingly on her Anders as he made his way down, a gentle smile on his lips.

Faith still had her hand up, so Anders knew at once what she was doing. His gentle smile turned into a grin, as his eyes travelled from the ring to Rilka's face.

"You got her a ring?" Rilka asked, all smiles.

"Oh, well, he got me more than that," Faith giggled again.

"What?" Rilka's puzzled voice asked.

"We got married in Amaranthine," Faith hurriedly blurted out. "You're the first one to know..."

Rilka could not have been more surprised if Faith had suddenly grown two heads.

"What?"

Anders chuckled under his breath, waiting for the news to sink in.

"But, but...you're a mage! Mages can't get married to people, can they?"

"Apparently they can and they do," Faith replied.

Anders face darkened. Rilka's comment reminded him of the plight of the mages, and Justice slowly reared his head up.

"Well, congratulations! I'm so happy for the both of you! And _you_," Rilka said, pointing a finger in Faith's face, "will have to tell me all the details before you do anything else today, or I will pester you till you scream!"

"Of course I will! That goes without saying," Faith said, her eyes taking in the sudden change in Anders.

"Yes, well," Anders shuffled uneasily. "I'll leave you two at it. I have to go." He gave Faith a gentle hug, his lips brushing the crown of her head gently. "I'll be back later, love."

Faith watched Anders as he walked off towards the cellars, a growing feeling of unease as he did so. Somehow she felt that this was something of a bad omen, heralding difficult times ahead.

Later on, she would look upon this moment as the one moment that had sparked the beginning of the end.

...

Varric smiled at Isabela, his grin spreading when she waved and indicated she would be up in a moment. Nothing like telling her the latest, for he knew she would be irked that she hadn't seen them herself.

As soon as she entered his rooms, he invited her to sit, his grin threatening to let the laughter he felt bubbling inside him escape.

"What's with you? You look like you know something that is too good for words," Isabela commented as she sat, waiting for the dwarf to speak. "I hope this story doesn't start with 'No shit, there I was...'"

Varric merely opened a bottle of wine and poured a glass for her, waiting for her to take a drink before he spoke.

"I do have some news. Interesting news."

Isabela had drunk the whole contents of the goblet and eagerly held it out for Varric to replenish. He did so with a chuckle.

"Well? Out with it, then," Isabela said impatiently, taking a sip of the wine this time.

"I ran into a couple of people today. I never expected to see them here, as a matter of fact. They surprised the shit out of me. Not to mention I had to participate in a battle they were fighting. Stupid thugs showed up. Messy welcome, if you ask me..."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Isabela asked, getting vulgar on purpose, since she knew that it was the only way to really get the dwarf to talk.

"Hawke and Anders are back."

Isabela's eyes widened briefly. Then she scowled. "You get to see them and I don't? And fight with them, no less? How unfair," she muttered.

Varric burst out laughing, his eyes twinkling as he regarded his rogue friend fondly. Isabela was so predictable.

"And we're going to work on a job with them tomorrow night," he said, drinking some of the wine and smacking his lips at the fine taste. He congratulated himself secretly for having acquired the bottle after the meeting with the Merchant Guild members not too long ago.

"Ah, now that's good news that makes you meeting them all seem worthwhile," Isabela smiled.

"Remember Bartrand's estate? We're going to check on the rumors of it being haunted."

"Oh. I would have preferred enemies with more _substance_ to them, Varric."

Varric chuckled, taking another sip of wine. Then his brow furrowed.

"There's something strange about them now," he murmured.

"Strange?"

"Yes. Something I couldn't quite put my finger on. Like they share a secret with each other. Something they know but we don't."

Isabela smiled immediately at these words. "Well, then. A bet. Whoever gets to know the secret first, wins."

"The usual amount, I take it?"

"Of course, Varric. I wouldn't want to bleed you dry, now would I?"

...

_We must do it, there is no other way._

"It's something that has to be planned, Justice." Anders's weary thought cut Justice off. But the spirit decided he had had enough silence and continued to pester him.

Anders smiled politely at the sick people gathered outside the doors to his clinic, then pulled out a key, opening the doors for them. Suddenly, out of nowhere, more materialized. Two dozen flocked in through the open doors. People who were sick or wounded, in need of a caring, healing hand...in need of hope. The hope to continue their miserable existences.

He smiled reassuringly at them all, before heading to the cabinets where he kept the elfroot, spindleweed and embrium, then checked for poultices and potions, making a mental note to add more to the soon-to-be empty shelves. Rubbing his forehead absentmindedly, he walked back to his patients, approaching the ones who needed healing the most.

_You know that I'm speaking the truth, don't you? This is why you refuse to act. _

He said nothing, but continued to focus on the people he was healing, a kind word on his lips and a smile on his face. Justice continued to shoot comments at him, making him wish he was still in Amaranthine for a moment, far from all the madness in this Maker-forsaken City of Chains.

When he was done healing them all, they slowly started to shuffle off, thanking him reverently as if he was some kind of a god. Anders smiled at each and every one, extending the last of his poultices and potions to the ones that needed them the most.

Once he was alone, he sighed as he flopped on his rickety chair, making a mental note to get elfroot and the rest of the medicinal herbs early the next morning. He'd just have to get up early and rush to the market in Hightown, then the one in Lowtown.

_There is no one here now. No one to distract you further._

Anders pursed his lips, his self-control on the verge of breaking, the sweat on his forehead already beginning to form.

"What do you want from me, Justice? I can't very well go do the things that have to be done right now, now can I?" His fists suddenly clenched and unclenched.

_You can acknowledge for once that you are refusing to act, because you don't want to. Because you want to continue to behave as a coward, relishing in other acts that do not matter. _

"Really, Justice? Is that what you have to say? I thought you better than this. You say they do not matter, yet you did nothing to stop them. You just let them happen."

_If I had stopped them, I would have driven you to madness or worse. I need you to think clearly. _

Anders chuckled, his expression wry and cold at the same time. "And here I thought it was because you honestly liked me. Never imagined Justice to be the calculating type."

_I am not calculating! And you will do your best to keep quiet about me, mortal, for if you don't I'll - _

"Threats now? Really? You know those won't work on me. Simply because anything you do that would hurt me, would make me go mad and I would probably end up killing myself. I thought you knew me better. I'm a tad bit disappointed."

Justice retreated into his mind, silent at last. Anders sighed with something close to relief, frowning.

He knew that Justice was right. He had to stop the madness. He had to finally free the mages, granting them the power to fight for themselves. He had to do it once and for all.

Even if it meant he would die in the process...

...

Anders sighed as he closed and locked the door that led to the cellar behind him. He knew it was late, later than he had thought, but he was relieved to finally be home. He made his way to the kitchen, thinking that maybe he could salvage some leftovers. He was terribly hungry.

He opened the door to the kitchen and gazed hopefully inside. The fire in the fireplace was still burning, though it had started to die down. Glancing around, he caught sight of a single, lone plate set on the wooden kitchen table, full of food. He smiled as he flopped down on the chair and immediately started to eat, knowing full well that Faith had probably told Orana to leave a plate out for him. It didn't matter if the food was stone cold, for he had used a bit of mana to heat it up before he dug into it.

After he finished, he patted his belly and stood up, a satisfied smile on his face. Walking down the corridor, he found himself in the dining room, then quickly walked back into the main room where he stopped to pat Paws before he went up the stairs to the room he shared with Faith.

He knew she was asleep, yet after he had locked the door behind him, carefully walked slowly to look at her sleeping form on the bed. He smiled lovingly as his eyes wandered over her face, then gazed down her body, which was lying on top of the sheets and blankets. He shook his head, then carefully took another blanket that was folded at the foot of the bed and covered her up with it. He walked silently to the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

The tub had been filled with water. Another smile graced his features as he stood over the tub. He marveled at how well Faith knew him, better than he knew himself at times, even.

He focused on the Veil and felt a surge of power as he placed his hands over the tub and heated the water. Then he stripped and got into the tub. A groan of pleasure escaped his lips and for a few minutes he just sat in the hot water, allowing the heat to seep into his tired muscles and soothe them. He then washed himself and loosened his hair from the tie that bound it at the back of his head. Dipping into the water to wet his hair completely, he then proceeded to wash it rinsing it thoroughly afterward. Once he was done, he took one of the large towels in the open cabinet behind him and toweled himself dry, then walked back into the room totally naked.

Faith was still asleep. He crept under the covers and she sighed in her sleep, immediately curling against him, nestling her head on his chest. He wrapped her in his arms, her delicious scent drifting up to him. Smiling, he caressed her hair and head until he fell asleep, still holding her closely.

Somehow, in the middle of the night, he woke to the sound of her crying in her sleep. He groped for her and held her close, rocking her a little in his arms. She slowly calmed down and settled down to a more peaceful sleep.

Before he fell asleep again, he realized that he loved her more than he thought he did.

_She isn't more important than the cause. _

"Sorry to disappoint you, Justice. But I'm afraid she is..."

...


	40. Confessions

_**Surprise! I decided to post this chapter too, cause of the Christmas spirit and all that jazz, lol. **_

_**Thanks to all who reviewed(darkkchylde, Amondra, Lorrain and Freakitten) and to those who included this fic in their favorites! :D **_

_**This chapter is full of...hmm, let's call them...confessions. Hope you like it! :D **_

_**Thank you PheonRen for editing and making this chapter readable! You totally rock! :D **_

Chapter 40 - Confessions

The next morning, Anders could have told Faith about his 'conversation' with Justice, but he let it go. Even though he suspected she knew that something was off about him, she did not mention anything to him.

After an early breakfast, he did tell her he needed to get medicinal herbs at the market.

"I assume you had a lot of patients waiting, then?" Faith smiled, placing a kiss on the corner of his lips. Anders smiled back, his hands tightening around her waist. It was unreal how much he needed and wanted her. They had just made love and already he was feeling the passionate urge to take her again.

"I don't want to leave now," he growled, his kisses slowly descending to the curve of her neck below her earlobe.

Faith shivered, her lips parting and a gasp escaping them.

Anders tightened his grip on her - there was a knock on the door.

He groaned and got up, hurrying into his smalls and tunic before he opened it.

"I - I'm sorry to interrupt, but I have to talk to Faith. I really, really do," Rilka said miserably.

Anders eyed her curiously. She had dark circles under her eyes, and looked like she hadn't slept at all.

"Are you ill?" He asked, moving to put a healing hand on her forehead.

"I - no! No, I'm not. But, I really need to speak to -"

"I'm here, cousin. Hold on a moment, just getting dressed," came Faith's reassuring voice from the bathroom.

Rilka sighed, relief written over her pretty features. Anders smiled at her. "I'd ask you in, but I'm not properly dressed yet. Um - if you'll excuse me?"

Rilka blushed a deep red and nodded, keeping her eyes averted as Anders slipped back into the room and grabbed his trousers from the chair next to the bed. He finished dressing, just as Faith left the bathroom and crossed the room.

"I'm ready, cousin. Oh, are you well?" She added in a concerned voice. She also noticed that Rilka had lost some weight, which she hadn't noticed yesterday.

"I'm - fine. I just need to speak to you, please," Rilka said softly.

"Of course."

Anders paused only to give Faith a kiss, and left them, making his way down the stairs towards the library. Faith turned to Rilka with a smile on her face.

"Let's go get you some breakfast," she said kindly, but Rilka shook her head.

"Anders is probably around, and I really need to talk."

Faith looked surprised, but said nothing, her mouth forming a thin line as she thought about getting Rilka to eat something at least.

"Well, I'll just go and tell Orana to bring a tray up to us for you, is that alright?"

"I suppose," Rilka said, sitting on the chair next to the bed.

...

Anders stopped on his way out, asking Bodahn to let Faith know he would be back early.

"Varric will be stopping by this evening, Bodahn. Isabela will probably be with him."

"I'll let Orana know so she can prepare a light snack for them."

"Thanks, Bodahn. I didn't see Orana this morning."

"She took a breakfast tray up to Mistress Hawke for her cousin, Serah. She's probably cleaning upstairs. Don't you worry. I'll let her know," Bodahn smiled.

Anders smiled back and waved to Sandal, who clapped his hands and cheerfully yelled 'Enchantment!' at him, then left the estate.

He could not help but worry, as he made his way to the market. Even if Rilka had insisted she was all right, there clearly was something that she wasn't telling them. They had only been away for two months and he wondered how she could have gotten ill if she never even left the mansion.

He shook his head and concentrated on buying the ingredients he needed, then walked towards the stairs that led down to Lowtown.

He was buying some elfroot when Varric said hello, causing him to jump at the sound of his voice.

"Sorry, Blondie! Didn't know you were so jumpy!" Varric chuckled.

"Maker's breath! At least warn me that you're about to appear behind me, will you?" Anders replied, then grinned at the dwarf.

"Fancy meeting you here. You off to the clinic?"

"Yes. I'm getting some herbs for today. I ran out of supplies and potions yesterday."

Varric nodded, then pursed his lips.

"What?"

"Well, you don't think you could let me know what it is you two are hiding, now do you?"

Anders grinned. "Not a chance, Varric."

"Oh, well. It was worth a try," Varric sighed.

...

Faith's mouth dropped open. She was actually struck speechless. She could not believe what she had just heard.

"I know it's difficult to believe. I - I'm having a hard time believing it myself. I'm a _mage_! I can't really think he will ever fall for one. What am I saying? I _know_ he'll never fall for one. But he's come over a few times while you two were gone. And he was nice. We chatted a lot. I started to see that behind all that hard exterior, there's a man who's suffered a great deal...a man who really needs to be loved."

She paused, out of breath. Faith just sat there, her hand still hovering over her cup of tea, staring at Rilka's open gaze in a state of mild shock.

"Are you telling me you are actually losing sleep over this?" Faith asked in a low voice.

"I can't sleep. I can't eat as much as I should, either. I'm just a bundle of - a bundle of nerves! I don't know what to think. He - he kind of behaves like he likes me, but I can't be sure. It's driving me insane!"

Faith smiled. "I could find out for you, you know..."

"Oh!" Rilka's blush deepened. "I don't think I could ever look at him in the face again if you did that, cousin. Please, don't!"

"Don't worry, just joking," Faith assured her, her grin deepening.

"I'm not really in a joking mood, Faith," Rilka replied, her face darkening slightly.

"Sorry, Rilka. I just thought I'd lighten you up a bit."

"I think I'm past lightening up," Rilka said sadly. "I don't think the outcome of all this is going to be good."

"Stop being so melodramatic, cousin. It will all work out in the end, you'll see."

"I hope so, cousin. I truly hope so..."

...

They had to fight more groups of thugs on the way to the mansion that had once belonged to Bartrand.

"I thought we took care of these idiots before we left?" Faith complained.

"They know you're back, I guess," Varric quipped. "There's no other explanation."

Isabela merely gazed at Hawke, then her eyes roamed over to where Anders was standing. She was frowning slightly. Even though it seemed like the bond between Anders and Faith had tightened, she was also sensing something off about Anders. At the moment, he was staring off into the distance, his brow furrowed. Isabela wondered briefly if the 'stick-in-the-mud' was there, instead of Anders, but he wasn't glowing blue so she concluded that this wasn't the case.

"Anything exciting happen on your trip? Did Anders's staff drive you to the peak of delight?" Isabela elbowed Faith.

Anders turned his head to gaze down at Faith, a smile playing on the corners on his lips. There it was. Almost imperceptible, but there. Faith mumbled something about Bartrand's estate, quickening her pace, and Isabela's eyes traveled back to Anders's face. He was grinning now.

The group paused at the door. Isabela took the opportunity to deliver another remark, hoping to get at least a hint of what was up with those two.

"Or did he master your taint?" Isabela whispered, one of her eyebrows flying up to her hairline, a smirk on her face. Behind her, she could hear Varric's chuckle.

"I hope the ghosts get you," Faith replied viciously, before opening the door.

...

When they were finally done with the place that turned out to have a piece of the idol that Bartrand had brought back from the Deep Roads all those years ago, they trudged wearily back to Faith's estate.

Anders had an arm around her waist, and was smiling. Isabela picked up her pace and placed herself between the two.

"So, are you ever going to tell us what it is that you are so happy about?"

"Maybe. If you're good," Faith grinned.

"What's the fun in _that_?" Isabela pouted.

"Face it, Isabela. We won't tell you a thing. Until it's time to, that is..."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?" Isabela huffed, looking a bit nettled.

"Oh, I don't know. Whatever you want it to mean, I suppose," Faith replied, looking extremely pleased with herself while Anders chuckled beside her. Isabela turned her accusatory glance on Anders, and was happy to see him falter and blush slightly.

"We're here! Good night!" Faith called gaily, opening the door, then smiling. She waved to both Varric and Isabela, then closed and locked the door behind her.

Faith slumped against the wooden doors and sighed. Anders was looking at her hungrily.

"Not giving up!" Isabela yelled from the other side.

Anders burst out laughing.

"Well, my love. I really think we should let everyone know. Sooner than later."

Faith grinned, a soft, low chuckle escaping her lips.

"I say let them suffer."

"They're bound to discover it for themselves soon enough. Why keep it from them?" Anders replied softly, tilting his head to the side.

"I'll tell them soon, then. But not tomorrow," she smiled up at him.

...

As it turned out, they didn't have to tell anybody. Isabela wanted to win the bet she'd made with Varric, so she visited Faith the very next day. She loved a good competition, and she wanted nothing but the immense satisfaction of _knowing_ that she had beaten Varric and won the bet. Bodahn told her where Faith was and she thanked him and set off to find her, reaching her destination a few minutes later.

Faith was out of her armor, of course, dressed in a comfortable long sleeved tunic, which was a few sizes bigger than she was. It had belonged to Anders, but she had long claimed it as her own, and wore it around the estate when she was 'relaxing'.

Isabela smiled as she caught a glimpse of Faith in the library, absorbed in a book. A piece of bread, ham and cheese lay on a plate that had been pushed away and long forgotten. She was so focused on whatever it was that she was reading, she didn't even hear the door close as Isabela made her way silently to where Faith was sitting.

Peering over Faith's shoulder, she read the title of the book - "Lock bash: An extensive study of extreme lockpicking" and smiled.

"Thinking of breaking into the Vaults in the Keep, are you?" Isabela said, and chuckled when Faith literally jumped at the sound of her voice.

"What the fuck? Don't do that!" Faith yelled, her right hand flying to her throat.

"Sorry, sweet thing. I really didn't mean to scare you," Isabela replied, looking like she had been meaning to do the very thing.

"You never knock, do you? Or at least give a shout of warning?"

"I meant to surprise you, you goose," Isabela laughed.

"And kill me in the process. Excuse me while I get my heart back..." Faith muttered.

Isabela sat on a chair beside Faith, grinning. "I don't think you really need to be studying. It's a wonderful day out. We should do something _fun_!"

Faith looked at Isabela suspiciously. The last time the pirate had actually said those words, she had proceeded to inform her that she had learned about an interesting pirate stash at the Wounded Coast. Faith had returned with a gash on her side, and Anders had glared at Isabela for weeks.

"I'm _not_ going to go check out another stash, even if you have the treasure map with you this time," Faith growled.

"No treasure map or stash this time, unfortunately," Isabela pouted. "But it has been a while since we've gone out you and I. Don't you need a hat? We could go shopping!"

Faith's eyes narrowed. "What is it that you want, Bela? Spit it out."

"Look at you! Why would you think I want anything? Can't a girl visit her friend? Besides, you still haven't told me what -"

At that moment, Isabela's eyes happened to fall on Faith's left hand, which glinted briefly in the sunlight streaming from the window. The cause of the glint became apparent: three tiny diamonds that sparkled in a simple gold band.

Faith heard Isabela's sharp intake of breath and followed her gaze - her first reaction a scramble of her right hand over her left, trying to shield it from Isabela's eyes. It was too late, however. Isabela had seen. Faith sighed and waited for the inevitable.

"Ooooh! What's that?" Isabela's eyes widened, her lips curved up in a smile, and her gaze travelled to Faith's face.

"What?" Faith licked her lips nervously, trying to think of a good explanation without blurting out the real one.

"That's a wedding band! I know one when I see one!" Isabela sang out, her face lit up with joy.

"What?" Faith blushed, then looked away.

"You didn't!" Isabela said, grabbing hold of Faith's hand to catch a better glimpse.

Faith sighed. Might as well tell Isabela everything. She couldn't come up with a good explanation for the band, and Isabela had guessed what it was anyway.

"We got married in Amaranthine. Around three weeks ago," she finally confessed.

"Ha!" Isabela sprang up, the excitement coming off her in energetic waves. "I _knew_ it! I _knew_ something had happened!"

Faith had to smile. Isabela's joy was contagious. Without warning, Isabela swept her into a tight hug and let her go, laughing out loud. She then danced across the room.

"Why are you so happy about it anyway?" Faith asked curiously. Isabela wasn't one to show emotions for anyone, and she positively _glowed_ with happiness right now.

"What? I can't be happy now?"

Bodahn appeared at the door.

"Sorry to interrupt, Messer, but Sebastian Vael is here to see you."

"Ugh!" Faith exclaimed. Isabela turned to her, eyes wide, then burst out laughing.

"I can help you get rid of him, Kitten," she purred.

Faith brightened up at this. "All right. Let's see what you have in mind."

...

Isabela nearly skipped the whole way back to The Hanged Man. She could picture the look on Varric's face and sighed happily. Success was sweet indeed.

Pausing only to flirt with a few men along the way, she finally caught sight of The Hanged Man in the distance.

"Hello, Isabela," Anders voice startled her for a moment. She slowly turned to face him, a grin on her face.

"Well, look who we have here! The happy husband on his way home to _fill_ his wife up, no doubt." The peal of laughter that burst from her lips prevented her from carrying on and for once she had no sexual innuendos left to tease Anders with.

"Husband?" Anders echoed, his eyes widening slightly.

"She didn't tell me. I guessed! I guessed!" Isabela laughed again - rather triumphantly, Anders thought, and he actually saw her giving a little joyful jump. "I really guessed! Although, it was easier than I thought, once I caught sight of the ring."

"Ah, yes," Anders smiled.

"I'm sure we could stand around exchanging pleasantries, but I'm in a bit of a hurry. I have some coin to collect, you see..." Isabela's chuckle exploded, turning into another high-pitch peal of laughter. Waving to Anders, she merrily went along her way, disappearing into The Hanged Man.

Anders looked after her, wondering what the heck had gotten into her. Shaking his head, he remembered why he was in the area of the Lowtown market, and headed off towards the vendor stalls.

...

Rilka stopped at the foot of the stairs in the main room of the Hawke estate. She was directly in front of him - her heart fluttering in her chest. He was looking straight at her, but somehow there was something different in that look. The look itself sent shivers all throughout Rilka's body. It was a look that said he cared for her, wanted her, needed her...

Rilka felt like she was drowning in a sea of desire, the passion building up from the pit of her stomach, to the top of her head then spreading down to the tips of her toes. Everything else in the room had ceased to exist for her. It was just this man, standing right in front of her that demanded all her attention.

She took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring. Without warning, he let out a growl and crossed the room quickly, stopping inches away from her. His eyes searched her face, and were so dark with passion that she felt her pulse quicken.

They stood there looking into each other's eyes, till Rilka could not bear it any longer. The drumming in her ears was deafening. Should she caress him softly? Catch his lips in hers? What was he waiting for?

She wet her lips, and his eyes automatically focused on them, then flew back to her eyes. Her lips parted, unsure of what path to take, unsure of what she had to do.

He let out what sounded like a sigh, or maybe a gasp? Then took her in his arms, kissing her passionately. Their bodies melded together, and even though Rilka felt his armor more than anything, there was nowhere else she would rather be. She didn't care about anything else at the moment, for she was ensnared by the passion in him.

Her lips parted and he took it as an invitation to sweep his tongue inside. She gave a small gasp of pleasure and their tongues wrestled for dominance for a while. His hands were all over her back, one of them finally coming to rest on the nape of her neck.

They came up for air.

"I - I never thought -"

"I love you," Fenris said. "I don't care if you are a mage."

...


	41. On The Loose

_**Sorry about the delay and since there has been a delay in posting, I'm uploading TWO chapters this time around! :D **_

_**Thanks to all who reviewed the last chapter and to those who added this fic to their favorites! You guys rock! **_

_**A twist here and there, hope you like the chapters! Happy New Year!**_

_**Bioware owns everything! **_

Chapter 41 - On the Loose

Time passed by, as it is impossible to stop the sands of time from endlessly flowing. Issues between the mages and templars slowly got worse. Knight-Commander Meredith was squeezing tightly as she could, possibly relishing the thought of reducing all the mages to fear and submission.

Anders spent more time writing furiously at his desk in the library and reading huge tomes which he purchased at the docks as soon as they became available. He seemed to be looking for something, but Faith never asked what it was.

Justice was ever present during the times he wrote the old manifesto and even more during the times he read, but whenever Faith appeared, worried over Anders's lack of sleep, he would silently slink back into the depths and give Anders full control. Anders was quick to notice that as far as Faith was concerned, Justice had grown to respect her - maybe even care about her - a sentiment that pleased him greatly.

Fenris and Rilka had grown to love each other very much. Soon, after having stayed for a long time at the estate in hiding, she started to become careless, and left her safe haven if only to visit Fenris at his mansion. Not only did Fenris scold her for doing this, but Faith did as well. True, Faith was the champion, but she hardly had the power to stop the templars from taking Rilka away.

One warm autumn afternoon, Faith and Anders were walking hand in hand to the estate. They had just helped Fenris out with his sister, only to discover that his sister was a mage, something that Anders could not believe at first. True, he had also been stunned when he found out Rilka and Fenris were in love and together, but soon the only things that really mattered to him turned out to be writing his manifesto and helping out the mages. Varania, Fenris's sister, had led Fenris into a trap, and after the battle Fenris had finally been able to kill Danarius. Rilka had insisted coming along with them, and so they had fought against slavers and Fenris's old master in broad daylight and in The Hanged Man.

When it was done and over with, Rilka told them she was going back to Fenris's mansion, so she had left with Fenris. Anders and Faith stayed behind to visit Varric for a short while, then headed home. As the two of them neared the Hawke estate, they could see a crowd of nobles gathered in the small square right in front of it. At the stairs leading to the Viscount's Keep, Faith caught a glimpse of Orsino, yelling something to the crowd. They finally could hear what he was saying once they got closer and stopped to stare at the scene before them.

"I know you fear us! But we cannot sit idly by as Meredith and the Templars continue to rule over Kirkwall!" Orsino shouted. The nobles gathered were either nodding or whispering to each other.

Anders squeezed Faith's hand tightly. She looked up at his face and could tell he was struggling to keep Justice from making an appearance.

"My love, please try to control -"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Anders snapped back, panting as he tried to get a grip on himself.

At that moment there were shouts from a group of nobles as they parted to let someone through. It was Knight-Commander Meredith, who advanced to where Orsino was, her face contorted with anger.

"How dare you start a riot, mage!" She practically screamed.

"I am doing nothing but talking to the people, Knight-Commander. Some of us seem to think you should not be ruling Kirkwall."Orsino's eyes settled on Faith. "Look! The Champion is here! Perhaps she would like to tell us her views on the matter?"

"The Champion has proven herself the city's greatest defender! I doubt she would favor sedition," snarled Meredith.

"I wouldn't dare interrupt this," Faith quipped. "It sounds like you two have a nice, little argument going."

"This is not an argument, this is treason!" Meredith yelled in rage.

Faith frowned. The woman was clearly mad.

"First Enchanter Orsino has just told you that you should step down so that the nobles rule the city, like they always have. The job of the Templars is to watch over the mages in the Circle - not rule a city," she said calmly.

"I will continue to rule the city as I see fit - to protect it against any possible threats. You cannot tell me what to do," Meredith snapped back at Faith.

"You see? She is beyond reason!" Orsino hurried to say.

"Silence, mage! I will not let you continue this farce. Off to the Gallows with you!" Meredith shouted.

"Face it, Meredith, I think Orsino is right. You really shouldn't be ruling. The Templars should stay where they belong, after all..." Faith's quiet voice rang across the square, while Meredith's face turned to a horrible shade of deep red. For a minute there, Faith thought the woman was going to explode. If looks could kill, Faith knew she would be dead at this very moment. She turned and caught sight of Anders, who was squirming uncomfortably in his place a few feet away, and knew the cause for that was Justice.

At that moment, the crowds parted again, and Grand Cleric Elthina made her appearance. Her presence alone calmed both Meredith and Orsino, and the whole square fell silent.

The Grand Cleric scolded them both like children and sent them off to the Gallows. She then thanked Faith for stepping in. Faith shrugged. It was hard for her to disguise the fact that she didn't like Elthina, but at least she was better than Meredith.

Elthina turned to face the people and asked them in a sweet voice to go back to their homes. Faith ignored the woman, and focused on Anders who was looking very pale at the moment.

"Are you all right, love?" She whispered, her hand coming up to touch his cheek lightly.

"I -" Anders swallowed. "I- yes- I think I am."

"Come, let's go home, or we'll be late for dinner," she said kindly as she led him away.

...

The meal was a silent one, as Rilka had not yet returned. Faith doubted that she would for Rilka would often spend the night at Fenris's mansion. Anders finished eating and told Faith he would be in the library. Faith quickly stood up, holding on to his arm to keep him from leaving the room.

"Anders," she said quietly. "Is Justice really giving you such a hard time? Please tell me what is happening. I want to help..."

Anders looked into her eyes, his eyes sad and lost. He opened his mouth to speak, then seemed to decide not to and shut it again, shaking his head.

"Anders..." Faith insisted, the warmth of her hand seeping through his coat.

"I'm fine, love. Don't worry so about me," he said in a small voice. "I'll be up in a few minutes. There is something I really have to check."

She frowned, but nodded, turning to climb the stairs to their room. Anders watched her go, his face a mask of sadness. Then, he turned and walked into the library, shutting the door behind him.

Faith waited for him till she fell asleep. When the first rays of sunlight pierced the darkness of the room, she opened her eyes, but did not turn to check and see if Anders was asleep beside her.

She knew that he had not come to bed last night.

...

The day was a silent one. Anders did not appear for breakfast. When Faith managed to gather the courage to knock on the door to the library later during the day, she was surprised to find no one inside. He had simply left for the clinic without even saying goodbye. He had never done that before.

She felt the tears coming but controlled herself from crying. She had to think of a way to manage the problem, not cry her eyes out like a stupid little girl.

"Mistress, what would you like for dinner?" Orana said giving a curtsey.

She gave Orana a small smile. "Oh, I don't know. Anything you make is fine, Orana. Surprise me."

Orana smiled, but her large eyes continued to search Faith's face. Her brow furrowed in thought.

"I'm sorry Mistress, but you seem very sad. Is there anything I can do for you?" Orana's voice was full of concern.

"Oh, there is no need to worry about me, Orana. I'm fine, really! Do we have any chicken in the house?"

"No, no chicken. I can go buy some if you want," Orana said hopefully.

Faith shook her head, giving her a watery smile. Orana smiled back.

"I got some beef early this morning, Mistress. Can I make some steaks?"

"That would be lovely, Orana. Steaks and vegetables, and fresh bread sounds like a fantastic meal to me," Faith was now genuinely smiling. "Maybe you can teach me how to cook the steaks and vegetables?"

"Why would Mistress want to do that? I'm here. I can cook!" Orana began to protest, but Faith raised her hand, laughing this time.

"Oh, no, don't worry! It's for when Anders and I travel. I have to learn how to cook. He can cook and I can't! So I want to learn."

"Then, I will be happy to teach you," Orana replied, her smile lighting up her eyes.

"Lead the way then!" Faith replied happily.

...

The following morning, she again woke up to a bed with no Anders in it. Instead of making her sad, it made her a bit angry. She took a bath, had some breakfast and was heading out to the clinic, when Bodahn stopped her. He was holding a missive and she made a grab for it, half-expecting it to be from Anders. It wasn't.

She tore open the seal of the Knight-Commander, and frowned. Meredith was requesting her help at the Templar Hall. Great. Just what she needed. She crumpled the parchment, burying it into her pocket and stormed out of the house.

She was seething by the time she reached the clinic and didn't even bother to check if there were patients inside waiting to be healed. Anders was sitting at the only desk in the vast room taking some notes from a large tome he was looking at. He was so focused on what he was doing, that he never heard her enter. Faith looked around. The clinic was empty. She felt her anger peak at this and struggled to get a hold of herself.

Anders heard a sharp intake of breath and stood up quickly, his hand automatically reaching for his staff, but when he saw Faith, he let it fall back to his side and just stood there, looking at her.

He could tell she was angry. No, not angry. Anger seemed like a much too mellow word to describe what he was seeing. Fury was pouring out of her pores; her nostrils were flaring, her face red and her mouth parted in an angry scowl. He felt the passion stir inside him, he could not help it. She looked so beautiful!

"I see I'm interrupting," Faith growled. "Good! I _want_ to interrupt!"

Anders searched for the right words to say to her, but found none. He broke into a sweat, the passion inside him bringing his penis to life. He swallowed thickly, and unconsciously wet his lips.

"Love...I didn't expect you here," he began nervously.

"I'll bet you didn't," Faith snarled back at him. "Really Anders? Am I _that_ repulsive to you that you simply refuse to sleep with me now?"

His eyes widened with shock, as he realized what she was saying. He understood how it could look that way to her and was dismayed.

"I'm sorry, love. I really didn't mean to -"

"Don't do this! Don't say things that aren't true!"

"What?"

"I knew you weren't coming to bed the night before. And I _know_ this has to do with Justice. Don't stand there and give me the crap that you didn't mean to leave the house and come here. You _WANTED_ to do this! You _WANT_ to sit and write, and study whatever it is you are studying!"

Anders blinked back at her, licking his lips again nervously. His throat felt dry and parched.

"Why Anders? Why won't you let me in? Don't you think it's my war too? Don't you think I'd die defending the mages if I had to?"

"That's just it, I don't want you to! This isn't your fight! I don't want you to be in danger because of me! I never wanted this!" He was glowing blue now, cracks starting to appear but he continued to shout. "I don't want to know that you are taking up a burden that may kill you! I'll protect you at all cost, even from myself!"

"You bloody hypocrite! You marry me and _now_ you say these things? How dare you! How dare you say you want to spend your life with me if you are not willing to share it? If you think you are going to do this alone, you are _SORELY_ mistaken, do you hear me? _SORELY_!"

Anders went completely white and silent. He rushed over to where she was standing to take her in his arms, but she pushed him away.

"No! You can't just expect me to run into your arms like a star-crossed lover, who drools for your embrace! You bastard! Don't you _dare_ think of me like a crystal who will break or a coward who will lie down and die. I am _no_ coward. This _is_ my fight! My father was a mage as was my sister. Even my cousin is one! I _will_ defend them with or without you! You bastard!"

Faith was breathing heavily. Anders took in her fierceness and his cock throbbed painfully. He wanted desperately to take her in his arms, carry her to the back room, and make love to her.

But Faith whirled around and ran out of the clinic as if a demon was after her, leaving him standing there, still in awe of what he had just heard.

_I can see why you love her so much._

"Shut up, Justice," Anders groaned as he sprinted after Faith.

...

She hardly saw where she was running, angry tears blinding her way as she stumbled over a couple of refugees along the way. She made it to the lift that would take her up to Lowtown when she heard him, and stopped, breathing heavily, the tears falling fast.

"My love, please. I'm truly sorry. I won't leave you out, I promise," Anders whispered, taking her in his arms gently.

She stiffened, but felt herself letting go as he kissed her cheek softly. "Damn you, Anders! Sometimes I wish I could beat some sense into you!"

He chuckled, holding her closely, his hands rubbing her back gently. After a while, he cupped her face, then claimed her lips in a gentle kiss.

She broke away first. "I got this today, it was the final straw. What in blazes does _she_ want?"

The venom in her voice was not lost to Anders, who merely gazed at the parchment, unable to find an answer to her question. His grip tightened on her, and his forefinger and thumb lifted her chin so that she was looking directly into his eyes.

"I love you. I'll go with you, and I'll do my best to control myself," he said, his warm, amber gaze soothing her instantly.

"Come with me to The Hanged Man. I want to see if Varric and Isabela will come too."

...

Faith knocked on the door that led to the Knight-Commander's study, and went inside when the voice on the other side bade her to do so.

"Champion, I thank you for coming," Meredith nodded curtly.

"Always a pleasure," Faith said between clenched teeth.

"There was an incident in the Gallows, and several phylacteries were destroyed. Three mages managed to escape. I need your help in apprehending them," the Knight-Commander said, while leading the group to a small interior garden at the end of the corridor.

Faith burst out laughing. "I'm assuming since you are asking me to do this, that all the Templars are away on a holiday, or have suddenly disappeared?"

"These fugitives are being harbored by their families, they will not talk to the Templars freely. But you are another matter. You are the Champion. I have no doubt that they will speak freely to you," Meredith said quietly, her blue eyes fixed on Faith's face.

"I will _not_ do your job for you," Faith muttered angrily.

Meredith gave her a wolfish grin. "I believe you will. Particularly since we have discovered that you yourself have been hiding a dangerous apostate mage in your estate. One that escaped from our very grasp nearly six years ago. I believe her name is Rilka Amell?"

Faith felt like a giant hand was squeezing her heart. Her mouth parted in surprise and behind her she heard Anders's sharp intake of breath. Isabela and Varric were both shocked to silence.

"She put up quite a fight when we arrested her. My source says she is your cousin."

"If you hurt her, I'll -"Faith began but Meredith cut her off.

"I intend to do no such thing. But if you do not help us with this, I will give the order for her to be made Tranquil," Meredith grinned.

"You bitch!" Isabela muttered under her breath.

Meredith didn't hear, or pretended not to. She still had her icy blue eyes on Faith and she was still smiling.

"Speak to my assistant," Meredith gestured towards a blonde girl, clearly a Tranquil as the angry, red brand on her forehead was the first thing they all noticed. "She will give you all the details you need to know to find these apostates. I bid you good day, Champion."

...


	42. Twisted

Chapter 42 - Twisted

Faith had no choice, really. They had fought and killed Huon, the elven blood mage, after he had killed his wife. Without even pausing to rest, she had led her team to Darktown, where she cornered Evelina - the second apostate. Anders had begged Evelina to reconsider the path she had chosen while protecting the children, Walter and Cricket. In spite of all Evelina had done to keep the children safe, in spite of all the love she had for them, she had changed in the end. The abomination she had turned into had attacked both Walter and Cricket, and Faith had lunged towards her, a cry of rage bursting forth from her lips. Anders had flung a winter's grasp spell at Evelina, a pained look on his face.

When the shades materialized in the darkness, Varric had fired a volley of arrows at them, slowing them down. Anders had quickly put a haste spell on them all, and Isabela and Faith had been blurs as they attacked and finished the shades off.

The fight over at last, Faith had turned to Anders. He was looking down at the dead Evelina-abomination sadly, his lips set in a thin line. When the children had turned to him for help, Faith had given them gold coins and told them to get some food. She would be back later, she had promised.

The last apostate they found was Emile De Launcet. Faith wanted to let him go, wanted to tell him to escape. She swallowed as her eyes fell on his face, the drunken stupor he was in enough for him to beg for some time alone with one of the girls he had met in the tavern. Faith had nodded and watched him leave. His eyes were full of happiness and awe as he took the blonde girl's hand.

Anders put his arms around her, but she stiffened against him. He turned her around, a puzzled look on his face. She could not meet his eyes.

"I'm no better than Meredith. I wish I could let him go free," Faith whispered.

"And risk Meredith hurting Rilka? You're doing what you must, love," Anders whispered back, his hand on her cheek.

"I'll be looking into my contacts to see who did this to Rilka, Hawke." Varric's voice was quiet, but held a dangerous tone to it. "I won't rest until I find out."

Faith swallowed thickly, her eyes on her dwarven friend. She nodded fiercely and leaned on Anders.

They were sitting at a table when Emile emerged again, looking happy and carefree. He cheerfully held out his hands so that Faith could bind them. She hesitated for a moment, but then tied him up.

The sun was coming out when they arrived at the Gallows, with Emile in tow. Faith ascended the stairs that led to the Templar Hall and walked silently to Meredith's study. When Meredith saw Emile, her lips curved into a cruel smile.

"Thank you, Champion. I suspect Huon and Evelina were killed?"

Faith nodded, the rage already boiling inside her. Beside her, Anders was unusually calm and quiet.

"Unfortunate, but necessary. Your cousin will not be harmed. I keep my promises," Meredith said, her smile turning into a grin.

"Don't hurt Emile. He is _not_ a blood mage," Faith said through clenched teeth.

"I don't need you to tell me what I must do or not do with him," Meredith shot back. Her eyes had an amused look in them.

Faith gritted her teeth and clenched her hands, fingernails digging into her palms. "The blame of what these mages did can be laid at your feet. Look at the way you treat them! Is it any wonder they fought back?"

"I have heard this argument so many times before," Meredith sighed. "'Maybe they can be saved, maybe they are good, maybe they are not blood mages.' Enough! There are maybes to fill half the graves in Kirkwall. I will not add more to the pile. I have no patience to discuss this with you any longer! Leave my study at once!" With these words, Meredith turned her back on them, and Faith was pulled away by Anders, who practically dragged her out of the study and to the Gallows courtyard.

"My love," he crooned, smoothing her hair out of her face. "We'll get Rilka back, I promise you."

"We first have to find out why Rilka is there to begin with. The sooner we get to The Hanged Man, the faster we'll have the information we need," Varric said roughly.

...

She was numb with pain, but her pain was not physical. The images flashing through her brain were of Rilka, of Bethany, of Carver, of her mother...of her father. She sat at the table in Varric's room, her eyes dry and her shoulders slumped. Around her she could vaguely feel the surge of activity in the room as Varric called in a couple of people and whispered something to them.

Anders was sitting next to her, holding her hand firmly - his eyes on her face. He could see she was in shock, and vainly tried to get her to react to her surroundings, but failed to do so. Varric ordered something to eat and Isabela sat at the table with a sigh as soon as the four friends were left alone in the room.

"Hawke, you should get back to the estate. My contacts will not find anything tonight and you will not be able to do much like this," Varric said softly.

She heard him and nodded miserably, the tears now threatening to fall. With one final look at her friends, she allowed Anders to lead her away to the estate.

They walked in silence, arriving at the estate quickly. Bodahn took one look at Faith and called Orana, asking her to get some hot stew for Faith and Anders.

Anders ate mechanically, his eyes on Faith. He was relieved to see her eating, but saw that she was struggling against the tears.

"Love, come. A hot bath will be good for you," he whispered softly as soon as they had finished their meal.

"What if she makes Rilka Tranquil, Anders? What will we do?" Faith asked miserably.

"She won't do that."

"How do you know? How can you be sure?"

"She knows that you will do whatever she wants you to do as long as she holds that threat against you," Anders swallowed thickly.

"But, what if she's lying, and Rilka is already Tranquil? What will we do then?"

He did not have an answer for that.

...

The very next day, Fenris showed up at the mansion. He waited for Hawke and Anders, his brow furrowed. Under his apparent calm and silence, he was extremely worried. Rilka had promised to visit him at the mansion in the morning and it was already late in the afternoon.

As soon as Hawke showed up, he rose to his feet, facing her. A chill went through his body when he saw her face.

"Hawke, is Rilka ill?"

No answer. His eyes met and locked on Hawke's: She was trying hard not to cry.

"Where is she?" He growled, shoving Anders to the side as he made his way to the stairs. "Rilka!" He called, hurrying up the stairs. Behind him, he could hear Faith and Anders as they hurried to catch up with him. He flung the door to her room open and was met with silence and emptiness.

"Fenris," Faith called, her voice cracking as the tears fell down her cheeks at last.

"Why are you crying?" He asked, as fear twisted his heart. "Where is she?"

"She's gone, Fenris. She was taken by the templars when she was coming home," Faith replied, her hand reaching out for Fenris's.

He wrenched his hand away from hers, unable to believe what he had just heard.

"Taken," he repeated in a monotone. His face darkened for a few moments, then the lyrium tattoos on his face and arms started to glow. "How?"

"We don't know how they knew. Varric is looking into it," Anders said quickly.

Fenris said nothing, the glow dissipating after a few minutes. He clenched and unclenched his fists, and a muscle in his jaw throbbed.

"It has to be someone who saw her, someone who knew she was my cousin. Meredith...she couldn't take Anders, not with the Warden-Commander's threat upon her. Rilka was her next option," Faith murmured, as Fenris sat on Rilka's bed, stunned to silence.

"She made me carry out a job, under the threat that she would make Rilka Tranquil if I didn't cooperate. She's clearly using me to get what she wants..."

Fenris's head jerked up at the mention of the word 'Tranquil'. He didn't speak for a while, and Faith knelt before him taking his gauntleted hands in hers wordlessly, offering him some comfort, until he pushed her hands away and stood up again.

"Fenris," Faith began, but he shook his head and walked away. Faith and Anders exchanged looks and followed him all the way to the main room, where Faith called Fenris again. He stopped and turned to look at her.

Fenris did not say anything at first, struggling to control the emotions within. Then he took a deep breath.

"We need to get her back. Before it's too late..."

...

The days turned to weeks, and there was still no word. The best Varric could discover was that a couple of his contacts had actually seen her being dragged off by the Templars. What was known was that the Templars knew who she was, and knew where she would be. Clearly they had been following her for some time.

Faith had thought of a plan to break Rilka out of the Gallows but the group dismissed it quickly. Even if they did manage to break in successfully, Rilka would be under strict surveillance and unreachable. Even Fenris had shaken his head, his eyes angry and sad at the same time.

The fact was that they could not rescue her, as much as they wanted to.

As time slowly passed, the trouble between mages and templars got worse. Stories about what the templars were doing to the mages reached their ears. Anders's had a lot of trouble keeping Justice at bay. He knew what had to be done, however. The Templars had to be stopped once and for all...

"Anders," Faith's voice interrupted his thoughts, and he was immediately on his feet and at her side.

"Love, it's late. You should be in bed and asleep," he whispered, taking her in his arms.

"As should you," she returned, hugging him back.

He smiled at this, kissing the crown of her head gently.

"Anders, we should do something about all this. It's not only about Rilka now, it's about all the abuse we're hearing about."

"I know..."

"Do you have a plan, love?"

Anders said nothing for a few moments, his amber eyes locked on hers.

"I may have something that we can do, yes. But -"

"Anders, this is my fight too. You can't shut me out. You said you wouldn't!"

"Let's go to bed, love. We'll talk about this tomorrow, I promise," he whispered at last.

...

The next day when Faith woke up, Anders had already left for the clinic. Sighing, she bathed and got dressed, then had some breakfast alone in the dining room. In the late afternoon, Sebastian showed up at the estate. His cheerfulness was painful to Hawke, but she listened to what he had to say.

"We need your help, Hawke. The Grand Cleric and I, I mean. Will you come to the Chantry to speak to us?"

Wordlessly she nodded, then followed him out of the estate to the Chantry. When she heard what Elthina told her about the Divine's secret agent visiting Kirkwall, she cringed inwardly. An Exalted March against Kirkwall?

"I'll do my best to convince this Sister Nightingale. I don't want the Divine's army marching against Kirkwall, Your Grace. I'll gather a team and meet you at the Keep tonight, Sebastian," Faith said, then bowed and left.

When she reached the estate, she discovered that Anders was back from the clinic.

"Love," he whispered as he took her in his arms and kissed her.

She was the first to break free from his embrace.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Sebastian came over and asked me to meet the Grand Cleric. Before you get angry about this, I have to say that their concern is...truly worth looking into..."

He said nothing, but she could see the blue flicker in his eyes. She squeezed his hand.

"Anders, believe me. You do not want an Exalted March upon Kirkwall. Not now. We have to make sure we can deal with the mage-templar issue without interference from Orlais."

Anders took a deep breath, then nodded at her words.

"You're right. Well, what is it that has to be done then?"

"Let's go to The Hanged Man. I want to see if Isabela and Varric can help us out here. Then, we should all prepare and go to the Keep."

"The Keep?" He echoed curiously.

"The Divine has sent an agent to assess the trouble here in Kirkwall. She calls herself 'Sister Nightingale' and is at the Keep. We are to meet her there."

...

They were ambushed by blood mages in the throne room and managed to kill them and the small army of undead they had summoned. Sister Nightingale had made her appearance and helped them with the fight.

"The Resolutionists," the red-haired woman sighed, as she sheathed her daggers when the fight was over. "I should have known they would be behind all this..."

"Are you Sister Nightingale?" Faith asked.

"I am. Or you may call me Leliana."

"_The_ Leliana? Who helped the Hero of Ferelden during the Blight?"

"Ah, I see that I cannot be as anonymous on this side of the border as I wish to," Leliana smiled.

"I didn't expect the Divine's agent looking like you," Faith smiled back.

"That is why I am effective," Leliana chuckled. Her eyes widened when she saw Isabela. "I did not expect to find you here, Isabela."

"An agent of the Divine, Leliana? Really? I find myself aroused," Isabela purred. Faith rolled her eyes.

"As much as I know you two have a lot of catching up to do, can we focus on the problem at hand?"

"Indeed. You will need to tell Grand Cleric Elthina that she must leave Kirkwall as soon as she can. We can offer her refuge at the Grand Cathedral in Orlais. The Divine has her eyes on Kirkwall. If it falls to magic, none of us is safe."

"None of _you_," Anders muttered angrily behind Faith.

...

By the time they left the Keep, it was already morning. Faith wearily made her way to the Chantry, with the rest of her group following closely. She trudged up the stairs and did not stop until she was in front of the Grand Cleric.

Vainly, she tried to convince Elthina to leave for Orlais, but could not. Elthina insisted that no one would dare harm her as she was the Grand Cleric. She refused to leave Kirkwall, and declared that if times were as troubled as Sister Nightingale said she would try to make peace. Faith gave up and left after a while, wanting nothing else but a hot bath and some sleep.

When they arrived at the estate, Faith discovered that Sebastian was still with them. She nearly rolled her eyes when he began to talk about defending Elthina against the mages. Faith felt Anders stiffen, as he struggled to keep Justice in check. Varric had a dark look on his face, one that Faith did not see very often. Even Isabela looked annoyed.

"I will defend her. She is a remarkable woman, and will not be safe. These mages are out of control!"

Something snapped inside of Faith.

"You pompous ass," she growled. "The _mages_ are out of control, huh? Did you ever stop to think how the mages are abused? What the templars do to them? Did you?"

Sebastian blinked back at her. "Surely you are not suggesting that they are the victims here? They attacked us last night, Hawke!"

"They were cornered! Even a cornered animal lashes out to defend itself!" Faith yelled.

"I cannot believe you are defending them," Sebastian sighed. He shook his head. "Actually, I can. You are living with an apostate. He is your lover...and there is also your cousin - who also lives here - an apostate mage. It is no wonder that you defend the mages."

Faith's mouth parted in surprise. Varric turned his head slowly to look at Sebastian, while the rest gaped and stared.

"You _know _about Rilka?" Faith swallowed.

"I met her one day while you and Anders were away. She is sweet, but an apostate, nonetheless."

Faith gave a growl and before Sebastian knew what was happening, he found himself against the wall, a dagger pointing at his throat.

"You pompous idiot!" Faith hissed between clenched teeth. "Did you tell the templars about my cousin?"

Sebastian swallowed, his eyes wide with fear. "No, I didn't. I returned to the Chantry and told Her Grace. Hawke, what -"

But Faith would hear no more. "Get out," she growled, sheathing her dagger.

"What?" Sebastian blinked back at her incredulously.

"You heard her," Varric said, his voice dangerously low. "Get out, Choir boy. And if I were you, I'd stay away. Unless you want us to kill you. If that's the case, _any_ of us would be more than happy to oblige."

Sebastian eyes roamed over the group, looking pale in spite of his tan. When his eyes reached Anders, he gave a gasp, for he could swear the mage was glowing blue. Not wishing to anger any of them any longer, he turned tail and ran out of the estate.

...


	43. The Potion That Started a War

_**First of all, thanks to all of you who have reviewed the last two chapters! (LadyDarksbane, Freakitten, Lorrain, MB18732, KnightofHolyLight, darkkchylde) A special thanks to my dear friend LadyDarksbane and my friend and beta PheonRen. I don't know what I would do without you guys! :D Thanks to all who have put this fic on their favorites list as well! :D **_

_**Things will rapidly escalate in the next few chapters, so I plan to put them up as soon as possible! **_

_**Bioware owns everything! :D **_

Chapter 43 - The Potion that Started a War

Anders was a terrible liar. All his life, he had tried to become better at it, but had failed again and again. All his attempts at escaping, all the tells he had tried to hide while gambling, all the times he had seduced women and men...the truth had eventually been discovered only because he was such a terrible liar.

"You know I've been reading and studying old tomes I've managed to get my hands on."

Faith nodded at his words, waiting for him to speak again.

"I've discovered a way to separate myself from Justice," Anders said, unable to meet her eyes at first. Faith's eyes narrowed slightly.

"But Genitivi -"

"I know what Genitivi said, but I've been reading ancient tomes written by the Tevinter. There is a way, and we don't have to travel for it. A...potion..."

"A potion?"

Anders nodded, trying to relax his face into a smile, his eyes finally meeting Faith's.

"I wanted you to help me try to find the ingredients, which are difficult to come across. A powder the Tevinters call Sela Petrae and Drakestone."

"Sela Petrae?" Faith asked.

"It's a crystal that forms from concentrated urine and manure. We should be able to get it in the sewers not far from the clinic."

"Ew! Can't we just buy it somewhere?" Faith grimaced.

"This ingredient is not one that is used by mages here, so the apothecaries don't sell it," Anders smiled.

"And the Drakestone?" Faith queried.

"We should find deposits of Drakestone in the Bone Pit."

"Is it just a potion? What does it do?"

"It is just a potion, love. I mix the ingredients up and boom. Justice and I will be free from each other at last - _and_ unharmed."

Faith frowned. There was something off about the whole thing - something she could not put her finger on. Nevertheless, she looked up into Anders's eyes and smiled.

"I don't trust anyone else but Isabela and Varric to come with us. What do you think?"

"An excellent choice, love." Anders replied, stepping closer to take her in his arms. For now, he ignored the feeling of guilt that threatened to overcome him and focused on kissing her, the passion inside him rising quickly.

He would feel bad about this later.

...

Anders struggled with his conscience while Faith and Isabela battled the thugs and mercenaries they encountered in the sewers as he collected the samples of Sela Petrae. His readiness to heal her and the way he protected her from the thugs did nothing to assuage the guilt he was feeling. When they had finally collected the correct amount of the crystal that he needed, he turned to her, the miserable look on his face making her start with surprise.

"Are you all right?" Came her question, sweet and musical to his ears. He felt his lips turn up in a smile, despite not wishing to smile at all.

"I'm just glad _you_ are all right," he whispered.

She snorted, apparently finding his concern funny. "It would take more than a handful of thugs attacking to kill me, love. You know this..." She reached up for him and kissed him, her hands wrapping themselves around his waist.

His grip on her tightened, and for a moment, he wished he had the courage to tell her that he had lied to her. But the words died on his lips as soon as they broke the kiss off, and she looked deeply into his eyes. What he saw there was something close to reverence, as well as adoration in its simplest and most profound form. He simply could not tell her the truth if it meant she would stop looking at him like that.

"The Bone Pit next, then?" Her whisper echoed through his soul, and he felt Justice stirring briefly before he managed to push him deeper into the recesses of his mind.

"The Bone Pit," he whispered back, feeling the guilt now squeeze his heart, a lump forming in his throat.

...

Their return to the Bone Pit, after having killed a high dragon there a few weeks before, was silent and uneventful. Faith saw an opening that had not been destroyed by the flames and made her way to it, the rest of the group following closely behind. She stopped at the opening, and Anders gripped at her arm, pulling her to him for a moment.

"You look really pale, Blondie. Is everything alright?" Varric asked, his head tilting to the side.

Anders forced himself to smile. "Everything is fine, Varric. Just hoping we don't meet more dragons inside."

"You just had to say that, didn't you?" Varric shook his head, sighing dramatically.

"Let's go," Anders replied, holding his love back as he entered the opening first.

The place looked deserted enough, but as soon as Anders gave a sigh of relief, half a dozen spiders dropped down from the rock ceiling above.

"See? No dragons about!" Faith called out happily as she hacked into a corrupted spider that was trying to bite Isabela. Anders dipped into the Fade, and blasted a group of arachnids with a Cone of Cold spell, freezing them solid, while Isabela and Faith slashed into them, shattering them into pieces in the process. The battle was a short one, fortunately, but it did not stop Anders from feeling worse. He ran his eyes over Faith's armor, realizing that the leather jerkin she was wearing was too thin for battling the corrupted spiders. True, there had only been two in the group they had just killed, but he feared there were more up ahead.

"You look like someone has died, Anders," Isabela chided beside him. "Cheer up! I won't let anything happen to Hawke!"

Faith chuckled at this, pecking at his cheek before stepping around the dead spiders at their feet.

"Where do we find this Drakestone exactly?" She asked, her eyes darting around the half-lit space that was full of vegetation.

"Any Drakestone deposit would be at the sides," Anders answered mechanically, his eyes scanning the area as well.

Faith advanced cautiously towards a door at one end of the cavern, while her eyes fell on a path that led to a wooden staircase on the right. There was a corpse there, and right beside it she made out something yellowish that gleamed a bit in the semi-darkness of the cave. Quickening her pace, she walked towards it, stopping to observe it curiously.

"This is it," Anders said beside her. He bent down and took out a leather pouch and a small dagger, and used the blade to unearth the patch of silver and yellow. Then he slipped it into the pouch, and straightened up, tying the pouch back onto his belt. "There must be more further in."

"Ah, I knew we'd need more. What is this Drakestone, exactly?"

"It's dragon dung," Anders replied.

"You are going to _drink_ this?" Faith asked, her face a mask of horror and disgust. Isabela coughed, trying to hide a peal of laughter that was threatening to burst, while Varric simply shook his head. "You _are_ brave, darling!"

Anders did not say anything, but smiled thinly.

"I guess we should stop saying these things. He looks like he is going to throw up," Varric remarked.

"Let's move to whatever lies behind the door. Think we'll find any loot around here?" Isabela asked.

"Well, there was loot on this fellow," Faith replied as she took something from the dead body lying beside the deposit. "An amulet. Looks like it didn't do him much good, poor bugger."

"It's a warden's oath amulet. Wardens are given amulets like these after their joining," Anders commented sadly.

"Unfortunately, it couldn't protect him from a spider attack," Faith shot back.

"He was a fool to come here alone anyway," Anders snapped, the annoyance in his voice evident.

"We don't know if he came here alone. What's gotten into you, love?"

But Anders merely shook his head, heading for the door. "We'd better hurry, before we're assaulted by more spiders."

...

But they were attacked by more spiders, and one or two corrupted ones also. The further they walked into the cave, the more they were attacked. Anders gathered the fourth sample of Drakestone, his guilt now making it almost unbearable to breathe.

"Everything all right there, Blondie?" Varric asked, his sharp eyes on him.

Anders pressed his lips into a thin line, shaking his head. They were walking towards another opening, that seemed to lead into yet another huge cavern. He readied himself for another spider attack, hoping that they wouldn't run into anymore. He only needed one more sample, and he knew instinctively that that final sample would be in that cavern.

"No spiders here? That's odd," Faith remarked as she stepped further inside the cavern, her eyes darting around the floor, determined to find another sample.

She was so focused on finding the Drakestone, that she failed to notice the spider web that spread across a portion of the dirt floor so she stepped right into it. A terrible hissing ensued, and a gigantic, monstrous spider fell from the rocky ceiling directly in front of her. Anders stifled a cry and focused on a Winter's Blast spell that momentarily stunned the creature, paralyzing it long enough for Faith to hack her way out of the web.

Isabela quickly performed a backstab, and the creature turned around to attack her, but she dodged the attack lithely, disappearing in a cloud of dark smoke. The creature then reared up as it lunged into Faith.

Faith tried a Vendetta maneuver, but was stuck again in another patch of the creature's web. Anders's eyes widened with horror as he watched the fangs come down upon her small form - watched her fall silently to the floor in a crumpled heap. The cry of agony that erupted from his lips came from the very depths of his soul.

"Faith! No! You can't be dead, no! Maker, please!" His paralysis spell froze the spider, and Varric's arrows failed to embed themselves into the creature, but Isabela successfully managed to slice the spider's abdomen fatally with her sharp daggers.

The scream of the creature as it thrashed in agony drowned out Anders's cries, as he rushed towards his wife and turned her limp form over in his arms.

Her face had a green tinge to it, and she was terribly still in his arms. He bit back a sob, and worked his healing magic in her, forcing the creature's venom out of her system, and knitting back the gaping holes in her chest, where its fangs had pierced her. Soon, she was breathing normally in his arms and her eyes flew open.

"Oh, thank the Maker!" Anders cried, as he smoothed away a few strands of her hair away from her face.

She smiled sweetly up at him, too exhausted at the moment to do anything else.

"Isn't this Drakestone?" Isabela's voice rang out on his right, and he turned, his eyes following her pointing finger.

"Yes, it is. That's the last sample. I'll collect it and we can finally get back to Kirkwall." His attention returned to Faith, and he focused on a rejuvenating spell that washed over her warmly.

"Well, that's fucking fantastic," Faith said, feeling much better as she stood up, helped by Anders. "I can't wait to get back. I need a hot bath and some good food. Not necessarily in that order, though..."

Anders smiled mechanically and finished collecting the sample.

"There's one more thing I would ask of you, my love. But we must discuss it privately," he said, hating himself even more as the words left his mouth.

"Then we had better get back," Faith replied, smiling as she led the way out of the cavern.

_You would have killed yourself, if she had come to harm, wouldn't you?_

Justice's voice came as no surprise as they traveled back to the city.

"Yes," Anders replied, though in his heart, he knew that Justice already knew his answer.

...

He made love to her that night, after making sure she was properly fed and bathing her himself. His caresses were soft and tender, the passion in him making way for a tenderness she had never before seen in him.

After their lovemaking, he gathered her up in his arms and continued to caress her gently and softly.

"I'm not a gentle flower, love," Faith teased lightly as she snuggled on his chest. He chuckled and his grip tightened somewhat.

"I love you so much," he whispered.

"I'm all right. If you hadn't been there, however, I know I'd be dead."

"Don't say things like that," his voice broke.

"Hey, don't worry! I don't think I'll be dying anytime soon. You won't let me, after all," she said, sitting up suddenly to stare playfully into his eyes.

His eyes held fear that she had not seen before and the smile died on her lips. "My love," he whispered, pulling her to him as he claimed her lips.

He came up for air after a few minutes, but his grip on her did not lessen.

"Maker, Anders. You have a flair for the dramatic, don't you? I'm here and alive, thanks to you. Stop this brooding at once, or I'll have to call you Fenris from now on."

He scowled at that, and this made her laugh.

"So, what is it that you have to ask me now?" Her eyes twinkled at him.

"Oh, that," he looked utterly miserable for a few moments, but then braced himself before speaking again. "There is something I must ask you to do, and I can't tell you why..."

Her eyes narrowed as she regarded him, and she didn't say anything for a few moments. When she spoke, what she said made him want to cry out loud and tell her the truth once and for all.

"Anders, you know I'll do whatever you ask me to do. I love and trust you entirely. What is it?"

"I need to do something at the Chantry, but I need you to distract the Grand Cleric. We could go tomorrow morning. Will you do this for me, love? Will you distract the Grand Cleric long enough for me to do what must be done?"

"What should I say? You know how much I hate her now that we know she was the one who alerted the templars, Anders. I don't know if I can do this without beating her senseless..." She frowned, biting her lip.

"Well, why don't you focus on the plight of the mages? Give her a chance to change her mind. Maybe you can convince her to side with the mages, love." His hand fell on her face, and traced patterns on her cheek, then her lips.

She sighed then, kissing his fingertips before replying.

"If it means this much to you, I will, love."

He felt terrible, but did not fail to notice something in her eyes before he bent down to kiss her. It was like she knew that what he was doing had a lot to do with a future war between mages and templars, almost as if she was guessing what was going through his mind at that very moment. But the revealing glint in her eyes was there and gone before he could focus properly on it, and she had responded to his kiss with fervor, effectively blotting out any further thought from his mind.

The last thing he thought before he succumbed to his pleasure was that she had known all along. But as he pushed the relief this knowledge brought to him aside and focused on her body, he felt his guilt getting worse when he stopped himself from finally blurting out the truth to her.

_Maker, I'm going to lose her after all this!_

The words practically sang in his brain for a few moments before he pushed the thought away and focused entirely on bringing her pleasure and making her happy.

At least he could still make her happy...for the moment.

...


	44. Best Served Cold

_**Thanks so much Darkchubb, LadyDarksbane, darkkchylde, xx Twilight Princess xx, MB18932(got it right this time!), and Lorrain for the reviews! :D **_

_**Thank you PheonRen for being such an awesome beta! :D **_

_**Here's 44 - where someone from Awakening makes an appearance. :) **_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 44 - Best Served Cold

**Thirty days ago**

Even though Anders had read about the formula in books written by the Tevinter, he had not gotten his hands on the actual recipe he needed until he'd run into Dworkin Glavonak in the Lowtown market one morning.

"Anders! It's Anders, right? Or is this another one of my many hallucinations?" The dwarf had called out in between giggles, making Anders do a double take as he regarded him.

"Dworkin Glavonak, right? Last I heard, you were in hiding," Anders smiled, shaking his hand.

"I was. Qunari bastards nearly killed me. But I managed to get away. And since there are no Qunari in Kirkwall, I'm staying right here for the moment," Dworkin laughed again as he spoke.

"I'll buy you a drink, how about it?" Anders smiled down at the dwarf, suddenly very aware that this meeting was extremely fortuitous.

The dwarf had readily agreed, and it hadn't been difficult at all to get him to the nearest tavern and make him drink until he talked on endlessly of his life after Amaranthine.

"I won't forget how your explosives saved the keep from the darkspawn attack," Anders said, taking advantage of the sudden silence that the dwarf had lapsed into and slyly veering the conversation to the topic he really wanted to talk about.

"Aye," Dworkin laughed again, beaming up at Anders. "Those monsters never had a chance. Not with my expert explosive-making skills!"

"I've read that there are two outlandish ingredients necessary to make the actual explosive power. Is this true?" Anders took a sip of ale and waited calmly for Dworkin to reply.

"Aye," Dworkin chuckled, leaning forward into Anders in a conspiratorial way. "Sela Petrae four measures, Drakestone four measures, and of course, let's not forget the charcoal. As much as you want."

"Charcoal?" Anders smiled, keeping the eagerness he felt under control.

"Of course. The final ingredient. Then, once all the ingredients have been ground into a fine powder, it should all be packed tightly in a barrel, with a piece of cloth leading to the actual powder inside. Set the cloth on fire, and boom!" Dworkin dissolved into giggles, swaying precariously on his seat. "A barrel would be more than enough to bring down any building, or destroy an army of soldiers even. One of the happiest moments in my life was completely obliterating the darkspawn to the Void itself when they tried to take the keep."

"Some advice for you, Dworkin, for old time's sake. Get out of Kirkwall as soon as you can," Anders's soft voice made the dwarf peer up at him. He wasn't so drunk to miss the tone Anders was using.

"I guess if you're telling me to get out, I should follow your advice, then," the dwarf nodded, understanding at once why Anders wanted the recipe. "Use the explosive well, my friend."

"Oh, I will, Dworkin. I will."

...

**Present time**

Anders pushed back a strand of damp hair and set the barrel carefully underneath the Chantry. He was in the vast basement, in a dark place. This alone made him uncomfortable. He didn't know why he was remembering his conversation with Dworkin at this very moment. The meeting with the dwarf had taken place a month ago after all. Probably because he didn't want to think about how he was under the Chantry surrounded by darkness. He suppressed his shudder, and forced himself to concentrate as he stuck the cloth through a hole at the top of the barrel, leading to the powder inside, then focused on getting out of the basement to find Faith.

Turning to look at the barrel one last time, he smiled. Luck was certainly on his side for once. He had found the barrel in the basement. It had not been difficult to empty it of its contents, and transfer the powder to it afterwards. The only thing left to do was to focus on a fire spell at the right moment. This would light the piece of cloth, and the burning cloth would set the spark for the explosive to go off.

Rushing back to the Chantry was easy. He thought about how he had stumbled upon actual maps of the Chantry building in the Viscount's keep records and smiled to himself. He had memorized the way to a concealed door behind one of the great statues of Andraste. He doubted that anyone knew of its existence, except for the Grand Cleric herself, of course. He made sure he was not seen as he closed the door to the dank basement below and stepped out from behind the statue. His eyes combed over the area till he found what he was looking for: Faith stood on the raised dais deep in discussion with the Grand Cleric.

He walked up the stairs to meet them, then stood on the landing, his eyes fixed on Faith. From where he was standing, he could see her moving her hands as she gesticulated wildly. This told him that she was annoyed and running out of patience. He suddenly found himself quickening his pace, until he was standing beside her.

"There you are!" He called out, forcing a cheerful note to his voice. "I've been looking all over for you!" His eyes wandered from her face as he fixed his gaze on the Grand Cleric, who was frowning. "Your Grace," he spat out, barely controlling his dislike.

"Your soul is troubled, child. I hope you found a balm for it here," the Grand Cleric replied, her eyes suddenly sad as she looked at Anders.

"Yes, well, off we go then," Faith muttered, waving a hand and walking away. Anders fell into step beside her and as they neared the great doors of the Chantry, they ran into Sebastian.

Faith felt her control slipping, but Anders took her hand firmly and led her away, as Sebastian stared silently after them. He had been nearby and had seen Anders disappear after having knelt before a statue of Andraste, seemingly in prayer. Where had he gone to? There were no staircases around, no doors leading anywhere. Sebastian frowned and headed up the stairs to ready himself for the afternoon confessions.

...

Faith had things to buy at the market for dinner and Anders wanted to get back to the clinic to see to a couple of patients, so they agreed to meet later at the clinic and gave each other a brief kiss before heading out their separate ways. She was still angry from the conversation she had had with Elthina, and felt it prudent not to talk to him at the moment.

The shopping took a bit longer than she wanted, and when she arrived at the estate two hours later, she met Bodahn at the door, who informed her she had a missive from the First Enchanter Orsino on her desk. She handed the parcels to him and walked over to the note, breaking the seal and reading the message written in precise, small writing.

_**Champion,**_

_**It took great courage the other day for you to speak openly against our knight-commander. You have my support in any actions you take. I hope I have yours as well, for there is a situation in the Circle I was hoping you could assist me with. Please meet me at the Gallows at your earliest convenience. Meredith has confined my mages to their cells and forbade me from traveling further than the Courtyard. I appreciate your service and discretion.**_

_**Sincerely,**_

_**First Enchanter Orsino**_

Sighing, she put the missive in her pocket.

"Bodahn, I'm heading out to the clinic for a while. I'll come back with Anders for dinner. Let Orana know, please."

"Of course, Messere," Bodahn beamed up at her. Faith smiled back, her eyes on Sandal who was grinning as well. Suddenly, Sandal stiffened, his blue eyes locking on hers. She frowned as she regarded him curiously. Was he about to have a fit?

"One day, the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just like they were. The shadows will part, and the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see."

Faith eyes widened as she heard the words pouring out of Sandal's lips, and her lips parted in surprise. Beside her, Bodahn gave a cry.

"What's this? What's gotten into you, my boy?" Bodahn walked quickly to Sandal's side, his face lined with worry.

Sandal broke out of his reverie. "Enchantment!" He called out happily.

"That's more like it," Bodahn breathed out in relief.

Faith shook her head, Sandal's words echoing through her brain. They had a menacing quality to them and she could not shake the feeling that the words held the truth of what was yet to come...

...

When Faith arrived at the clinic, it was empty, but she heard voices coming from the back room. Silently, she made her way into the room, unintentionally eavesdropping on a conversation between Varric and Anders.

"I want you to have this, Varric," Anders held out the embroidered pillow he loved so much.

"Is that - a...pillow?" Varric said, looking up at Anders, totally confused.

"Hand-embroidered by my mother. The only thing of hers they let me keep when I was taken to the circle," Anders smiled sadly.

"Nope. Not happening," Varric shoved the pillow back at Anders. "You keep your pillow, Blondie, and may you have many more dreams of killing templars on it." Varric turned, shaking his head. His eyes met Hawke's and he rolled them, shaking his head once again as he left the room.

"My love," Anders murmured as he took her in his arms. "I want to tell you now that I love you. Just remember, whatever happens, I want you to know that."

"I love you too," Faith replied, her eyes locked on his.

"I'd hoped there would be another way, but -"

"I don't want to know right now, Anders. You can tell me all about what you were doing in the Chantry later. All I know is that if you think it was necessary, then it was. I received this missive from Orsino, we should focus on that for the time being..." she held out the parchment for Anders to read.

Anders read the note and sighed, pulling Faith to his chest. "Your conversation with Elthina was bad, wasn't it?" He asked softly, his head bent over hers protectively.

"It didn't go well at all. I managed to find out that she didn't alert the templars directly. It seems that Meredith was there when Sebastian blurted out that I had a cousin living in the estate."

"And you believed her?" Anders shot back.

"Why would she lie to me?" Faith shook her head, then lifted it to gaze into his face. "I don't doubt she would have told the templars herself. She clearly doesn't support the mages, even though she says she is not taking sides."

"She is Grand Cleric. She _has_ to support the templars," Anders spat out, a shimmer of blue in his eyes. "Who do you think made Meredith knight-commander and gave her full control over everything?"

Faith nodded, biting her lower lip. "I suppose we should see what Orsino has to say to us. I have a feeling a war is about to begin. I'll gladly take the mages' side and kick some templar arse if that is the case." She turned away from Anders then added, "There is a nice roast waiting for us at the estate." Anders's stomach growled loudly and she laughed. "Let's go."

...

"I can't tell her. Maker help me..."

Justice said nothing, and Anders found himself struggling with the guilt he felt even more than before. Faith was busy chatting with Bodahn about Walter and Cricket. Somehow, he had managed to find homes for all of Evelina's children, and Walter had written Faith a note thanking her, which she had read out loud to Anders during dinner. Bodahn had beamed at her when she had finished reading and they were now discussing Cricket and how happy he seemed.

There was a knock at the door and Bodahn hurried to open it. A few minutes later, Fenris was standing in the dining room, as broody as always.

"Fenris, please sit down. I have some news, in a manner of speaking," Faith said quietly. "Would you like something to eat?"

"No, thanks, Hawke," he replied, ignoring Anders and sitting next to Faith. Anders frowned and focused on eating third helpings.

"It seems that Sebastian unwillingly let the Grand Cleric know about Rilka, and the Knight-Commander was there," Faith said sadly.

Fenris looked down at the stone floor, clearly struggling to keep his anger in check. After a few minutes of silence, his gaze came to rest on Faith once again.

"I keep thinking of how to free her, but come up with no answer," he said, his voice deeper than usual.

"I got a missive from the First Enchanter today. If you'd like, you can come with me tomorrow to see what he wants. Maybe we can catch a glimpse of Rilka there?" Faith said kindly. Beside her, she heard Anders sighing resignedly, but ignored it.

"Yes, I think I'd like to come along...to help. What time are you leaving?"

Anders refrained from making a comment and chewed the last of his dinner, taking a drink of water when he was done. Fenris left the mansion and Anders finally allowed himself to relax.

"It's unreal how you two still can't stand each other. Particularly since he's in love with a mage," Faith mused.

"Apparently, there are still things in this world that amaze me," Anders quipped back. "Didn't think I'd ever run into an elf who not only hates mages, but is in love with one of them..."

Faith smiled absentmindedly at what Anders said. He was quick to reach under the table and zap her with a lightning spark. Faith gave a little jump, and he smiled innocently at her.

"I'm going to get you tonight for that," she chuckled coyly.

"I can't wait," Anders replied.

...

Orsino asked them to check on nighttime meetings that were taking place in one of the courtyards in Hightown. Apparently, there were a group of mages that were frequently leaving the Gallows and he didn't know what was happening but wanted to find out.

Upon arriving at the place, they were attacked by the mages and templars meeting with them. The battle was over rather quickly and even Anders had to admit that having Fenris in the group was probably the reason why the fight had ended so quickly, with less wounds to heal. Faith looted the dead bodies and found a note on one of them stating that they were holding a meeting at one of the warehouses in the Docks.

At the warehouse, Faith interrupted the meeting and was surprised to see Keran there. Keran ran off to hide, and all the templars and mages there attacked the group. Fenris quickly rushed towards the group giving a cry, while Faith focused on disarming several traps in the room. Anders cast a paralysis spell on some of the attackers, placing a repulsion glyph around Faith to protect her immediately afterwards. Varric in the meantime fired a volley of arrows towards the attacking mob, successfully slowing them down.

In a matter of minutes, the fight turned in their favor, despite being outnumbered, once they took care of the mages. When they were all dead, Keran came out of his hiding place and begged for forgiveness.

"Please. I didn't know they were talking about you. If I had known, I wouldn't have agreed to help them out. You know I don't agree with kidnapping, particularly since my ordeal several years ago..."

"Kidnapping? I don't like where this is going," Faith shook her head.

"They said they needed leverage. Someone you cared about. We just got word they took a mage girl from the circle," Keran replied sadly.

"You bastards kidnapped my cousin!" Faith growled. Beside her, Fenris started to glow softly.

"We weren't going to hurt her! I promise you! Thrask says Meredith will start an open war against the mages, and we have to stop her!" Keran babbled on.

"I'm not your enemy in this," Faith replied sadly. "I think Meredith is a dangerous zealot."

"Then go to our base at the Wounded Coast, and tell Thrask. He will welcome your aid. Your cousin will be there, unharmed. Please, I need to go. Don't tell Meredith about me, I beg you."

"Go ahead and leave, Keran. Your sister will be worried if you don't show up," Faith responded, giving him a small smile.

Keran ran off, and Faith turned to her party, shaking her head.

"If we're heading to the Wounded Coast, we should hurry," Fenris said quickly, unable to hide his concern.

"Love is truly a wondrous force, isn't it?" Anders said, squinting up at the warehouse ceiling.

Fenris turned angrily to Anders, and Faith immediately put herself between them both.

"If you two continue to act like stupid children, I'll send you both back to Hightown," she practically snarled.

Both Fenris and Anders looked uncomfortable, but nodded miserably, agreeing silently to stop needling each other.

"Glad that's settled," Faith commented as they left the warehouse.

...

Rilka was unharmed. Faith faced Grace, who was one of the mages Faith had rescued from the templars years ago, only to arrest and hand her back to the Circle later on. It was obvious that she hated Faith, and was looking for vengeance.

Faith scowled angrily. "You hurt my cousin, you die!"

Thrask, who was a good person, despite being a Templar - tried to convince Grace to control herself and ordered her to free Rilka. Anders could feel Rilka under some kind of spell and was convinced Grace had used blood magic to hold her.

As Thrask turned to check on Rilka, maybe to make sure she was still unharmed, Grace cut herself and used her blood to fuel the magic in her. She then slammed Thrask with a life-threatening spell. Thrask fell to the ground, dead, and the battle began in earnest.

It was one of the hardest battles Faith had fought, but she managed to kill Grace easily. What she did not expect, however is that once she lay dead at her feet, a Pride abomination rose from her corpse. Faith gritted her teeth and lunged at her, while Anders cast a Winter's grasp spell that froze the abomination, then focused on the renegade templars that were helping the group of mages. Casting Tempest on them was easy, and it was fun to watch, too.

The fight lasted longer than other fights, but when it was finally over, Alain, one of the mages who had initially been against the use of blood magic and had not followed Grace, turned to Faith and told her that Grace had used blood magic to hold her, and that he had to use it to set her free.

Faith nodded and Alain cut himself, then placed his hands over Rilka. Her eyes fluttered open, and Fenris rushed forward, gathering her into his arms.

"Oh, Fenris! I thought I'd never see you again!" Rilka said in a rush, before he captured her lips in his.

Anders rolled his eyes, biting the insides of his cheeks to keep himself from making any comment, while Varric just looked away, whistling.

They came up for air, and Fenris helped her to her feet. Rilka hugged Faith warmly.

"You can't imagine how wonderful it is to see you, cousin!" Rilka laughed. Fenris had a protective arm around Rilka's waist, and was staring at her with adoration.

"We should move quickly, if we want to get you back to the estate," Fenris said in a low voice.

Rilka's face fell. "Oh, I can't go back, Fenris," she said sadly.

"What do you mean?" Fenris growled.

"It's the knight-commander. She told me that if I ever escaped, she would arrest my cousin and Anders, and execute them immediately."

"She can't execute me," Anders interrupted, "she knows that if she does, she risks a warden attack that could mean the start of a war. I think she was lying, Rilka."

At that moment, Cullen showed up, with a group of templars. It was clear that Rilka would be returning to the tower. There was nothing they could do about it now.

...

The First Enchanter was very grateful. Smiling, he turned to Rilka.

"You needn't go back to the room that the Knight-Commander kept you in, my dear. I have told her that you are now my assistant. You have been moved to the senior enchanters' dormitories - their rooms are next to mine. You are no longer a prisoner of Meredith's."

"Can you just do that?" Faith asked wide-eyed.

" I can, and I already have. Meredith knows that if she denies me this, I'll let the Grand Cleric know of what she has been doing to Rilka, and she doesn't want this. She writes her reports, but keeps out interesting details. However, she knows that I write reports as well. If the Grand Cleric knows what happens in the circle, it's thanks to me. And, if the Grand Cleric knew that Rilka was arrested just because she is the Champion's cousin - so that Meredith has a hold over the Champion, it would make the Chantry look bad in the eyes of the people. I would make all this public to the people and more. And I'm sure the Grand Cleric would want to avoid all this...publicity."

"Thank you, First Enchanter," Faith hurried to say, but Orsino held up a hand.

"Please. It is the least I can do. You have done so much for the mages already. Your father would be proud."

"You knew - my father?" Faith stammered, a faint flush coloring her cheeks.

"Of course. He was in the circle here, as was I. He was a good man. I knew he would eventually leave the circle. All he ever wanted was freedom. I'm glad he had a family. He deserved all the happiness he could get."

Faith bowed her head, the emotions overtaking her completely. Anders rubbed her back reassuringly and smiled tenderly when she looked up at him.

"Thank you again," Faith beamed at Orsino. "We have to go. I'll see you soon, Rilka."

...


	45. Do Not Hesitate to Leap

_**Thank you MB18932, Darkchubb and KnightofHolyLight for your awesome reviews. I know it was hard to upload them as I had some trouble earlier when I first uploaded this chapter, and it disappeared completely! Fortunately fanfic fixed it! (I think, lol):D **_

_**This chapter and the next one are the last ones that deal with in-game stuff, the chapters following these are totally AU as I deal with what happens after they escape the Gallows. Some minor spoilers here and there for "Dragon Age: Asunder" will be mentioned in future chapters, but nothing so huge that will spoil the book for you because I want this fic to be different from that as well. **_

_**As usual, my disclaimer: Bioware owns everything! **_

Chapter 45 - Do Not Hesitate To Leap

Faith read the missive from the First Enchanter and crumpled the parchment in her hand. Hawke this, Hawke that. When would it all end? She felt Anders's eyes on her and looked up quickly. He was looking down at her, but the look in his eyes was one she had not seen yet. Guilt? Remorse? Yes, there was that, and something else...was it shame?

Faith shook her head, then gathered some potions and poisons, her lips set in a thin line. She could still feel Anders's gaze on her, burning her. She knew he was hiding something from her and it hurt, but she could do nothing about it. She guessed it had something to do with all this mage-templar mess.

Sighing, she turned away and went up the stairs, stopping only once she was beside him.

"Orsino needs our help again."

Anders nodded, his eyes on her for a few moments before he looked elsewhere, averting his gaze.

"Do you think it's urgent?" He asked, keeping his voice low.

"I do. I would send word to everyone first. I have a feeling this is escalating into something worse. The way he writes tells me he is desperate."

He was still avoiding looking at her, but after a few moments, his eyes locked on hers.

"Is it surprising at all that he is desperate?"

A hint of blue, then it was gone. Faith sighed.

"Let's go."

...

It hadn't taken Bodahn long to deliver the messages to all her companions. The first to arrive had been Fenris and Varric, followed by a sour-faced Isabela, who complained vocally that she had been 'busy' interviewing possible sailors as crew for her ship. Merrill had been at The Hanged Man, so had tagged along, naturally. Aveline was missing, but Faith knew she would arrive shortly.

"I got a missive from Orsino. It seems that Knight-Commander Meredith is squeezing so tightly, he'll be needing our help. He sounded really desperate, and I have a bad feeling this will not end well. I want to know if you will accompany me to the Gallows..." Faith's voice trailed off, and she bit her lower lip nervously. How could she put in words what she truly wanted from them?

"Is that all you'd like us to do, Hawke? You know we've got your back," Varric grinned, looking up at her.

"Whatever happens, I'd like to think that all of you do...have my back, I mean..." Faith replied in a soft voice. "If things should get out of hand, I plan on defending the mages. I want to make that clear now. If any of you want to walk away, please do so. I don't want anyone here to feel forced into helping me."

The silence all around made her wish she hadn't said anything. She kept her eyes away from the rest, staring stubbornly at the floor.

_Great. Just great. See now that's promising! No one is saying a bloody thing!_

"We would not abandon you, Hawke. At least, I wouldn't. I can't speak for the rest," Fenris growled.

"Hey, now," Varric protested. "Thanks a lot, elf."

Fenris sneered back at him.

"Wait! What are we doing again?" Merrill asked, confused as she looked around at the serious faces in the room.

Isabela sighed. "Deciding if we support Hawke or not, Kitten." She shook her head, a smile playing on the corners of her lips. "Whatever happens out there, I'll be by your side, Hawke."

"Me too!" Merrill exclaimed quickly. Everyone let out a chuckle.

Anders gave her hand a gentle squeeze. Looking up, she saw the love in his eyes and at once felt better. He nodded at her, his sidelong smile causing her stomach to flutter.

"Count me in," Aveline said quietly from the door.

For a few moments, Faith felt she could not speak. She let her eyes roam around the room, glancing at each one, one at time: Her extended family.

"Thank you," she said simply. Then she took a deep breath, drawing strength from their loyalty. "Let's go, then."

...

Sebastian Vael took the things he had purchased and asked the merchant if they could be delivered to the Chantry. The merchant scowled and Sebastian found himself paying the man an extra sovereign.

"Fine," the merchant growled. "I'll have them delivered this evening. Right now, we're too busy with sales, so it will have to wait until the end of the day, and then some."

Sebastian nodded in agreement and moved to the next stall, looking at the wares on sale. His eyes rested on a warm blanket and he smiled, thinking about the cold nights in the Chantry. As he was about to ask the vendor the price, his eyes caught some movement, and he turned his head slightly.

He was surprised to see Hawke and her companions walking towards the stairs that led to Lowtown. Surprised because all of them were there with her, even the Guard Captain. Frowning slightly, he vowed to find out what they were up to. The only thing he had to do was keep from being seen. Thanking the Maker and Andraste for his expertise in stealth, he silently pressed on, blending into the walls as he walked slowly behind them, keeping his distance.

...

The mage at the Gallows told Hawke that Orsino and Meredith had argued and that Orsino had stormed off, on the way to the Chantry, with Meredith following angrily behind.

"Wonderful," Faith sighed. "Time to settle this once and for all then."

Turning around they all walked back to Lowtown, but met both Meredith and Orsino at the bottom of the stairs leading up to Hightown. They were angrily throwing comments at each other so Faith quickly put herself between them both.

"The way you two carry on, people will talk..." Faith smirked.

"This has nothing to do with you, Champion!" Meredith snarled at her.

"I called her here!" Orsino at once shouted angrily. "I think the people have a right to know what is happening! Everyone has a right to hear what you have done!" Behind him, Rilka smiled, her eyes on Fenris, who nodded back at her, a gentle half-smile on his face.

"What I have done is protect the city from danger! What I have done is protect the people from your dangerous magic, and protect you mages from yourselves as well! And I will not lower my guard! I will not stop! I won't!" Meredith practically screamed.

"Does the word 'crazy' mean anything to you?" Faith asked, her eyes narrowing.

Meredith turned to Faith, and for a moment, her eyes were infinitely sad. "Tell me, Champion, have you not seen with your own eyes what these mages can do? Have you not heard the lies of mages that seek power?"

"You can't use the actions of some to condemn them all!" Faith retorted angrily.

"You would cast us all as villains, but it's not so!" Orsino shouted.

Meredith turned to him. Faith saw something close to pity in her eyes. "I know," she said to Orsino, "and it breaks my heart to do it, but we must be vigilant. If you cannot tell me another way, do not brand me a tyrant!"

"This is getting us nowhere! Grand Cleric Elthina will put a stop to this!" Orsino growled, then turned to go up the stairs.

Meredith reached out to grab Orsino's arm, shouting at him to stop and at that moment, Anders stepped forward, brushing by Faith. Faith cringed as she saw the hint of blue in Anders's eyes.

"The grand cleric cannot help you!" Anders shouted.

Meredith whirled around to face Anders, her whole body seething with anger. "Explain yourself, mage!"

"I will not stand by and watch you treat all mages like criminals..." he turned to Orsino, his skin crackling with a blue glow, "...while those who would lead us bow to their templar jailers."

Meredith took a step back, while Orsino stepped forward, too angry at Anders's jibe to react properly. "How dare you speak to -"

But Anders cut him off, the blue glow now shining brightly through the cracks causing Orsino to stop and stare at him, confusion on his face. Anders slammed his staff hard on the ground as he took a step and Faith could feel the force of the magic inside him. "The circle has failed us, Orsino! Even _you_ should be able to see that!" Anders's voice boomed along with Justice's in unison. Faith felt like someone had punched her in the face. But Anders spoke again, his voice now drowning out Justice - the glow suddenly gone. "The time has come to act. There can be no half-measures."

Faith felt her skin crawl, fear holding her heart in a vise grip. "Anders, what have you done?"

Anders looked down to the ground, his voice now sad and distant. "There can be no turning back."

A great roaring explosion was heard, and a great pink-white light burst from the Chantry, throwing rubble and rock throughout Hightown. The whole building groaned and fell, blowing up to the sky.

"Maker have mercy!" Meredith cried, her eyes wide open in horror.

"There can be no peace," Anders said, still looking down at the ground sadly.

Sebastian cried out, making his presence known. For a moment, everyone just looked at him dumbly as he screamed, falling to his knees, the tears suddenly streaming down his cheeks.

"Elthina! No! Maker, no! She was Your most faithful, Your most beloved!"

Faith's mouth opened as she regarded Anders silently, one thought already searing through her pain and disbelief:

Anders had lied to her.

...

The next few minutes were all but a blur for Faith. She vaguely remembered choosing to help the mages, and her companions standing beside her; but she could not remember anything else clearly. All she knew was that after having dealt with the templars that had moved in to kill Orsino, she turned and saw Anders sitting on a crate, looking off to the distance.

Meredith had left to gather more templars, declaring the Right of Annulment on the circle. Orsino had thanked Faith for siding with the mages and left as well. The only people there were her companions, and a very angry Sebastian who was demanding Anders's execution.

Faith's eyes were on Anders. There was a resigned droop to his shoulders and he kept his back to her, not once looking into her eyes. She sighed and walked over to the crate, standing behind his slouched form.

"There is nothing that you could say that I haven't already said to myself," Anders said sadly, with his back to her still. "I took a spirit into my soul and changed myself forever to achieve this. This is the justice all mages have waited for."

"You lied to me," Faith whispered, but her voice carried over to where her companions were standing. "You lied to me and killed innocent people in the process..."

"Hawke, you cannot let this abomination live! He just killed an innocent woman who trusted you!" Sebastian shouted.

Faith whirled around to face Sebastian, fury contorting her delicate features. "Innocent, is it? I've read a lot about your 'innocent' Elthina, whose only concern was empowering the chantry and the templars to squeeze the mages tighter!"

"How can you say this about Elthina?" Sebastian sputtered. "You are clearly insane!"

"Insane, am I? Did you ever think to wonder what really happened to Viscount Perrin? Why that battle was really fought? He wanted to cast the Templars out of Kirkwall!"

"He was a tyrant!" Sebastian protested.

"A tyrant because he knew the Chantry had too much power? A tyrant because he went against Elthina's word? Because he possibly wanted to free the mages? Perrin wanted to free Kirkwall from the control of those who use power for their own purposes. He wanted the truth to be heard, yet he was poisoned in the end. I wonder who had a hand in that?" She shook her head. "Why do you think Elthina never took sides? Because she wanted Meredith to continue to squeeze the mages! The mages would turn to blood magic in their desperation and give her a better reason for the Chantry to continue to oppress them and grow more powerful!"

"How dare you soil her name after death!" Sebastian said angrily, pulling his bow out in anger. All at once, Hawke's companions drew their weapons around Sebastian, aiming directly at the rogue would-be-prince.

"Did you ever know all the things they do to the mages in the Gallows? Did you ever know that thanks to you, the templars ambushed my cousin and took her to the circle where she was used to coerce me into carrying out a job for Meredith? I had to look for three missing apostates, or she would give the order to make my cousin Tranquil," Faith said through clenched teeth.

"What matters now is that the person who killed Elthina is sitting right there, and must be executed!" Sebastian lashed back.

"You touch him, and you die," Faith said quietly, her eyes ablaze with anger.

"You would defend this monster? This murderer? I thought I knew you, Hawke!"

"I will not raise a hand against my husband," Faith retorted calmly.

Sebastian's jaw dropped. For a few minutes he stood there unable to say a word. Then, when he had gotten a grip on himself, the next words he uttered made Faith even angrier than before. "You married a _mage_?"

"Mages are people just like us," Faith spat out.

Sebastian shook his head. "I will go back to Starkhaven and raise an army. I will return here and there will be nothing left of Kirkwall for these maleficarum to rule! I'll hunt your Anders, then kill him! I will show your precious Anders what true justice is!" Sebastian shouted angrily.

"Get out of here before I kill you," Faith snarled.

Sebastian turned around and walked away angrily. Faith watched him go, then turned to Anders, who had not moved.

"Tell me, Anders. Did Justice tell you to lie to me?"

"I didn't want to lie to you. But if I had told you the truth, you would be sharing the responsibility of all this madness with me. I didn't want you to feel the burden of guilt," Anders replied softly.

"You think that makes it better?" Faith said sadly.

"I wish you would kill me. It is the only justice that the innocent people who died deserve," Anders replied quietly.

"Help me defend the mages," Faith said in a monotone.

Anders stood up quickly, turning to face her, hope shining out of his eyes. "You mean fight the templars with you?"

Faith slapped him, leaving an angry, red mark across his cheek. "Before you get the wrong idea, I need a healer on the battlefield. And _that_ is the only reason I'm asking you to come with me." She stared into Anders's wide eyes for a few moments in silence, the hurt and pain in her eyes making Anders wish he was dead.

"We'd better get to the Gallows quick," Varric said in a loud voice.

Faith turned and walked away. Anders stood there for a few moments, then followed, his heart heavy.

He had lost her forever.

...


	46. The Madness Within

_**Thanks to all who reviewed(Lorrain, xx Twilight Princess xx, LadyDarksbane, darkkchylde, MB18932, and KnightofHolyLight)! And very special thanks to my wonderful beta PheonRen - if it wasn't for her, this fic would never be uploaded! You totally rock, darling! :D **_

_**Ok, we are free from the game at last in this chapter. Faith, Anders and their friends escape the Gallows on Isabela's ship, which used to be Castillon's, of course. Even if I don't write about it in this fic, Isabela does get her ship from him. And yes, Castillon did have the cabins(rooms) decorated with the mustard-colored satin that Isabela loathed! **___

_**Enjoy! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 46 - The Madness Within

Faith struggled with her emotions all along the way to the Gallows. The first and foremost thing on her mind was that Anders had kept the truth from her, in spite of his previous promise to share everything. The other thing on her mind was the innocent blood that was spilled when the Chantry was blown up. Having fought at Ostagar and knowing that innocents were killed in a war, she gritted her teeth and tried to come to terms with this. Even though Anders had tried to protect her from the truth, hoping she didn't feel guilty, she still did.

As they battled the groups of mages who turned to abominations and helped other groups of mages against the templars, Faith understood why he thought that the Chantry blowing up was the only way out of all this mess. Even if it did create a bigger mess in the process...

They discovered the way to the Gallows had been cut off through Darktown, and decided to cut through the docks. Faith turned to Isabela.

"How fast can you take us to the Gallows, Isabela?"

"You're asking _me_ this, Kitten? You _know_ I can have you there in a heartbeat. And the ship I own now is the fastest in the ocean," Isabela smirked.

"Good. We need to be fast."

Faith spoke the words as she approached the statue of the Champion that had been erected in the middle of the docks, overlooking the sea. But as she got closer, she noticed a figure kneeling at the base. Faith frowned as she felt a chill in the air. The person kneeling there was clearly a mage. She reached for her daggers at the same time the person - Faith could now tell it was a woman - rose and cut her hand. At that moment, shades appeared and attacked them.

Her companions lashed into the shades and out of the corner of her eye, Faith spotted a pride demon materializing and roaring before it started hurling spells at the group. Frantically she disengaged herself from the battle, and disappeared in a puff of dark smoke as she ran silently towards the creature. In an instant, Faith engaged it in battle, trying to distract it from attacking her group. Rilka at once saw what she was up to and hurriedly cast a paralysis spell on the monster, which helped Faith perform a Vendetta maneuver and kill the beast.

As soon as the pride demon went down and the shades were dealt with, they quickly made their way to Isabela's ship. Anders healed all their wounds on the ship, keeping busy and not daring to look at Faith. Faith herself was lost in thought as the ship made its way to the docks at the Gallows.

As soon as it made port, Faith jumped off lithely and ran towards the mayhem in the Gallows. The First Enchanter had just killed one of the templars and Faith called out to him.

"Champion!" Orsino yelled, relief evident in his voice. "You survived! Thank the Maker!"

At that moment, Meredith and a handful of templars arrived at the scene.

Orsino tried to reason with Meredith, but she did not budge in her resolve to execute all the mages in the tower. Faith felt the anger burning through her veins. She clenched her fists and took a step forward, effectively drawing their attention to her.

"The time for talking is done," she said through clenched teeth.

"I'm disappointed in you, Champion. So be it. You will share the mages' fate!" Meredith snarled.

Faith gave her a wolfish grin.

"What is it to be, then? Are we to fight you here?" Orsino asked.

"Go. Prepare your people. The rest of my templars are now making their way to the Gallows," Meredith said haughtily.

The group silently followed Faith to the Gallows. They soon arrived at a interior courtyard where the mages were kept. Once there, she spent some time talking to each of her friends in turn. She avoided Anders completely.

As they waited, Flemeth's prophecy popped into her head. She remembered the witch's words clearly, as if they had been spoken at the moment, and not so many years ago. She was quietly standing in a corner, and did not feel him, but looked up startled when she felt his hand on her arm.

"I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I want to talk. It may be the last chance we get," Anders said, his voice low and quiet.

"Talk? You think talking will accomplish anything right now?" Faith said through clenched teeth. Anders let go of her arm, his eyes sad.

"I know talking won't accomplish anything, but I feel I should let you know one thing."

Faith gave him a curt nod, waiting for him to continue speaking. She lifted her head up and looked straight into his eyes.

"Speak then, if you have something to say..."

"You've always tried to save me from myself, but I was cursed before you met me. I just want to say I'll always love you."

Faith felt a pang of sadness and she lowered her eyes. After a few moments of silence she turned to walk away, but Anders suddenly grabbed her and crushed his lips on hers in a desperate kiss.

She felt herself melting in the heat of that kiss. Cursing inwardly at the hold he had over her, she broke away from the kiss, panting. "Damn you, Anders! You should have told me the truth!" Her voice broke.

"My love," he murmured, still holding her firmly in his arms. "Please."

"Let me go! Damn you!" She struggled, avoiding his gaze.

"I'll fix this. I promise you," Anders said, still holding her close.

"Yes. You will," Faith replied quietly, looking up into his eyes for a few moments. "You are good at fixing things. The real question is...will you be able to fix me?"

He dropped his arms and took a step back, the tears falling from his eyes as he regarded her, then turned away.

Faith felt her own tears and pushed them back.

_Damn you Anders! _

Gritting her teeth she walked up to Orsino to let him know they were ready to fight. Her shoulders were squared, her head was held high.

But in her tortured heart, she wished only for the final relief of death.

...

The final battle was gruesome. Orsino, desperate to win against the templars, cut his wrist and turned into a huge abomination, which Faith and her group were forced to fight and kill. Many mages did escape the Gallows that night, however.

Meredith had been the one to buy the tainted idol from Bartrand, and had had it melted so that the smith could fashion a greatsword for her. The pure raw lyrium made Meredith even more insane than Bertrand had been. She attacked her templars when they refused to battle the Champion. Cullen stood against her and favored Hawke. Once she saw that everything was crumbling around her, the being in the idol corrupted her, a red light bursting from her eyes and all around her as she called the giant metal statues in the courtyard to fight for her. The great statues creaked as they came to life and attacked, the magic fueling them burning throughout the courtyard.

Faith and her companions attacked the statues, and at the same time fought Meredith. Rilka never left Fenris's side, and he protected her with his life, saving her from all the blows he could. Anders stayed close to Faith, even though she dared not even spare a look in his direction. Aveline took heart when Donnic joined them in the fray, and continued to fight valiantly. Zevran appeared to lend a hand also, and Faith grinned wildly all through the fight. Even though she was grateful for Anders's healing magic, she dared not show it, but held on to her anger to make it through. Merrill kept close behind both Anders and Faith, determined to protect them with her hexes and curses as much as she could.

The fight lasted for hours, and for a few moments, Faith thought they would all die. But as Meredith weakened, they became stronger, thanks to Anders's rejuvenating spells. All he did was drain one bottle of lyrium after another, and all throughout the fight Justice did not make an appearance once. It was all Anders, through and through.

After what seemed to be an eternity, Meredith finally fell to her knees, exhausted and badly wounded.

"I will not be defeated!" She yelled out, panting. "Maker, aid your humble servant!"

At that moment, the sword, which was glowing in a red-pinkish light burst and the blinding light entered Meredith, causing everyone to fall back momentarily. She gave a piercing scream that reverberated throughout the Gallows courtyard. Then, she slowly turned to a metal statue herself, her mouth open in a now-silent scream.

It was over. It was over and they were all alive. Faith started to walk towards the statue that was now Meredith, a smile playing on the corners of her lips.

As if on cue, all the templars that had run off before to escape Meredith's wrath appeared in the Gallows, advancing slowly on the Champion and her companions. One of them knelt before the statue, trying to touch Meredith's metal face, but it was too hot to touch and her hand darted back. The templar woman turned to look at Cullen, who was staring at Faith.

Faith sneered at Cullen, daring him to come closer. Cullen lowered his weapon, taking a step back and the rest of the templars did the same. Then, she turned and slowly walked away from the Gallows, the rest of her companions following her.

Away to freedom. Away to a new beginning.

Anders draped an arm around her waist as they walked, but this time she did nothing to squirm out of his embrace.

...

The ship bobbed on the waves, and the people assembled on the deck were all lost in thought. Exhaustion could be seen on their faces, yet they stood silently, looking back at the smoke and partially destroyed city. Faith doubted she could sleep even if she wanted to. Anders stood silently nearby, his eyes on her, watching her every move. She did not turn to look at him.

Fenris pulled Rilka close and she looked happily into his face, her eyes dreamy. He gave her a gentle smile before his eyes slowly fixed themselves on the city again - the burning city that was fast disappearing from view.

Orana, Bodahn and Sandal were also on Isabela's ship. Isabela had promised to drop Bodahn and Sandal off to a port somewhere in Orlais, before setting sail as far as possible from the coast once again. Orana, however, expressed her desire to remain with Hawke for as long as Faith would have her. She had grown to care a lot for Faith, and would not be convinced to go anywhere. Faith had smiled at her timid 'No!' when Bodahn had suggested taking her to Orlais. In the end, Faith had managed to convince Orana to go with Bodahn and Sandal, as she would be on the run and it would be too dangerous for her.

"All right, Mistress. I will do as you ask. I'll miss you, Mistress. You have been so kind and good to me," Orana said in a small voice. Faith suddenly embraced her, which surprised the elven servant, and caused her to blush furiously. They smiled at each other before Faith turned to Varric.

"I'll travel with you all, but I'm going to return to Kirkwall later on. You know I have to check in on Bartrand in the asylum, and look after business, Hawke."

Faith nodded. "I understand, Varric. I'll miss you when you leave."

Varric said nothing but gave her a sad smile, then looked away quickly.

Aveline and Donnic were gazing at the waves when Faith approached.

"I've asked Isabela to drop us off at the port of Amaranthine, Hawke. I know that King Alistair will accept us both as soldiers because he needs every Ferelden back in his ranks again."

"I'm sure he will," Faith murmured, giving Aveline a smile. "Thanks for the help, Aveline. Sorry I keep on messing up your life."

Donnic squeezed Aveline's hand and a faint blush crept into her cheeks for a few moments. "Oh, I wouldn't say you've messed it up entirely," she said, stealing a meaningful glance at Donnic.

Faith smiled at this and moved to where Merrill was standing.

"Lethallan, I have nowhere to go. I would like to continue travelling with you. I want to fight in the war, if you are fighting. I want to go wherever you go," she said simply.

Faith nodded at Merrill. "It will be good to have someone with your skills to help when we battle, Merrill. Thank you."

"Thank you, Hawke, for defending the mages. It means a lot to me," Merrill replied.

Zevran bowed before Faith, a wry smile on his lips. "Ah, Champion. Allow me to say that it was a pleasure to help you."

"Thank you so much, Zevran. You came back to help us. I won't forget this," Faith murmured.

"I must take my leave soon, as soon as we dock in Orlais. I have a...meeting with my former companions there." A sly smile graced the tanned elf's features and Faith grinned back at him.

"Just don't get yourself killed, please," Faith said, while Zevran shook his head once.

"No need to ask this, _bella."_ Zevran laughed. "I am too fond of living."

When they had at last made it so far that Kirkwall disappeared and only open ocean could be seen for miles around, Faith moved to Isabela who was busy at the wheel steering her ship.

"After you drop Bodahn and Sandal off with Orana, and Aveline and Donnic off at Amaranthine, set sail for Rivain, Isabela."

"Why, Hawke! I never knew you wanted to travel to my homeland. I'm touched," Isabela commented playfully. She did not get the smile she wished for, however. Instead, the words Faith spoke next were spoken in such a sad, painful tone, Isabela felt saddened herself.

"I have business there."

...


	47. Whispers

_**Wow, thanks so much for all the reviews! (xx Twilight Princess xx, MB18932, KnightOfHolyLight, Lorrain, darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane, Freakitten, Darkchubb), thanks to all who put this fic in their favorites as well! Special thanks to my awesome beta, PheonRen for all her hard work! :D All this feedback is so special to me! I love reading all your comments, they make me all warm and fuzzy inside! :D **_

_**AND a special thanks and mention to my friend Lorrain, who has drawn Faith Hawke! YES! You can see what Faith looks like, a link to her fabulous work on DeviantArt is on my profile page (the links are on top), as well as a close-up of Faith too! Please take the time to check it out, especially her art on DeviantArt! Thank you so much Lorrain for this! IT'S AWESOME work! You are a very talented artist! **_

_**Ok, a note before you start on the AU chapters. Faith and Anders are married. She is still very much in love with him in spite of what he has done, BUT, she still doesn't trust him. I thought I would make that clear, just in case! :D **_

_**Also would like to mention that Fenris and Rilka will continue to follow Hawke wherever she goes, because Rilka is her cousin and she cares about Faith. For now, they are with her. And later, who knows? LOL! **_

_**Bioware owns everything. I just play with the characters! :D **_

Chapter 47 - Whispers

Faith's companions tried to keep busy on Isabela's ship. One of the things Rilka devoted herself to was sewing, for Isabela's complaints of the terrible mustard colored satin that Castillon - the ship's previous owner - had used to decorate the captain's cabin had not been lost on her. Rilka had found some cloth with a pretty flowery pattern in the ship's hold and vowed to remedy the situation.

Since Zevran was also traveling with them, he took it upon himself to make Isabela forget her cares and woes, which the pirate did not have, and they were seen together most of the time, except for the times where they disappeared below deck, only to reappear hours later looking pleased and relaxed. Isabela kept a smile on her face and Zevran kept a smirk on his for the remainder of their journey.

"You are taking this very seriously," Fenris remarked to Rilka, upon finding her sewing one day in their small cabin. "All you do is sew."

"I only want to express my gratitude for her help. Is that so bad, love?" Rilka asked, fixing her honey-colored eyes on Fenris.

A tender look - one that nobody saw except for Rilka - came to Fenris's eyes, and he had to smile.

"I know that. But you should take some time to rest. I can see how exhausted you are," he murmured, as he knelt before her. "I worry about you."

Rilka smiled affectionately at him, two dimples appearing momentarily on her cheeks. Her hand caressed Fenris's cheek, and he leaned against it, his sidelong smile and loving look causing her heart to summersault.

"There is no need to worry, darling," she whispered back as Fenris's lips descended on her own.

The kiss, while passionate, was also full of love and devotion. Fenris gave a low growl and as he pulled her towards him. The material that Rilka had been working on slipped to the floor, causing her to break away from the kiss.

"Oh, I don't want it to get dirty," she pouted. Fenris sighed and released her, watching her get on her feet then carefully begin to fold her work before putting it away.

"We're stopping in Cumberland on our way to Orlais. Isabela needs more supplies. Hawke is going with her and insisted on paying for them," Fenris announced.

"That's where the College of Enchanters meets!" Rilka exclaimed, her excited voice causing Fenris to grin for a few moments.

"It's also where things are going to be very agitated, if they aren't already. I don't think you should go."

"I know," Rilka frowned.

"I'll keep you busy here. I promise," Fenris said, his voice so low, it sounded nearly animalistic in nature.

Rilka did not reply, nor did she want to, for he had taken her in his arms again, his mouth possessively on hers.

If it meant that he would keep her this busy, she would gladly stay in their cabin when they docked in Cumberland.

...

It had been five days since the whole battle in the Gallows courtyard. During that time, Anders had tried to speak to Faith, but she had deftly avoided him, which caused him to become even more depressed. Everyone knew that things were tense between them, but they just steered clear away whenever Anders and Faith happened to be together on deck or in the mess hall below during meal times.

Justice had not made an appearance since the whole Chantry affair, and sometimes Anders wondered if he was gone for good or what. Not that it mattered much to him anyway. His sole interest was Faith, constantly on his mind. He had been sleeping below deck with the rest of their companions, letting her take the cabin that Isabela had given her. He knew from the dark circles under her eyes that she had not been sleeping well at all, and this troubled him even more, if possible.

They were headed towards Cumberland, that much he had overheard the previous morning. He also knew they were close to arriving at their destination, so it was now or never. Gathering up all the courage he could muster, he followed her to the cabin that afternoon.

"I need to talk to you," his voice croaked.

Faith froze at the door that led to her cabin, then opened it. For a moment, Anders thought she was going to ignore him completely, shutting the door in his face. After a few moments, however, she nodded to him curtly, waving him inside the tiny room.

There was only a chair in the room, crammed against the only wall on the right, the wall opposite them had portholes where Anders caught a glimpse of the turquoise-blue water for a moment.

"Yes?" Faith asked as kindly as possible, her whole body tense and rigid.

Anders tried to relax his face, although he felt like frowning at her whole demeanor. Instead he managed a weak smile which died instantly when she fixed her eyes on him.

"I - I know we're going to dock in Cumberland very soon and I -"

"_You_ are not going anywhere," she interrupted, her eyes now flashing angrily.

"Are you telling me that I have to stay on the ship, even though the College of Enchanters -"

"You _do_ want to get yourself killed, don't you?" Faith retorted interrupting him again. Her nostrils flared angrily as she spoke.

Anders smiled inwardly. If he could get her to lose control, maybe, just maybe, he could finally break through the wall she had built around herself.

"Why? Do you even care?" He shot back evenly, his eyes daring her to respond.

For a moment, she stared at him, shock replacing anger. Then she swung her hand back to slap him but Anders was ready. He caught her hand in mid-flight, smirking in the process.

She stiffened even more and struggled to get her hand free from his grasp, but he held on tighter.

"Let me go!" She breathed, her eyes now shooting daggers at him.

Anders wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her towards him, a crooked smile on his face.

"Dammit, Anders! I'm warning you!" She yelled, her face a deep red.

"I won't be ignored any longer. If you hate me that much, then kill me right now. But stop avoiding me, love," he whispered, his eyes burning steadily into hers.

"I don't," she sighed, her whole body slackening. "I don't hate you..."

"Good to know," Anders murmured back. "I told you I was sorry, and I am. But we can't carry on like this forever."

She was still breathing heavily, and Anders was becoming more and more aroused as the minutes ticked by, but he did not lean in for a kiss, though he very much wanted to.

"Anders, please let me go," she whispered.

"I don't want to. I don't want to ever let you go," he murmured, his face dangerously close.

"Please."

"Do you _really_ want me to let you go? If you do, I'll let you go and not bother you again. Ever."

"Anders..." she lifted her face up to him, the tears now falling down her cheeks. Her wall was finally coming down at last.

"You don't sleep, you hardly eat. Do _you_ want to die?" He asked, his grip on her now gentle, his eyes loving and tender. "I'm so worried about you I can't sleep myself. This is torture for us both. You think I liked doing what I did? Do you think I didn't feel guilty every step of the way? It was killing me, love. But it had to be done. That step had to be taken. Or are you going to tell me that things could have been solved peacefully?"

Faith bit her lower lip, a sign that told him she was trying to avoid agreeing with him. He waited patiently for her answer, however, and did not move or speak until she finally replied.

"No," she whispered, keeping her eyes down. "No, I realize that there was no peaceful way to solve things. I knew that things would end the way they did. I - I felt it coming. Besides, Elthina..." Anders noticed her upper lip curl into a sneer at her mentioning the Grand Cleric's name "...didn't want to defend the mages. It was always about power for the Chantry with _her_."

"I realize that lying to you was something I should have never done," Anders said softly. "I hated myself for it. I was trying to protect you, love."

She lifted her eyes to his then. She was still crying, and it broke his heart.

"I don't _need_ you to protect me. And we agreed - we agreed that you would tell me everything, but you still didn't!"

"I know, love. I'm sorry. I'm very sorry. But I also know that the guilt I am feeling would also burden you now if I had told you everything, and I didn't want this to happen. You didn't deserve that."

She closed her eyes, as if trying to shut out the memory of the past weeks from her mind. Anders could take it no longer. He bent his head and softly placed a tender kiss on her lips.

She stiffened for the first few moments but afterwards surprised him by leaning into the kiss, her lips parting softly. He moaned, his tongue snaking slowly into her mouth. As they kissed, his hands traveled up and down her back, until one of them settled on the nape of her neck, burying itself into her hair.

He felt her melding into him, and their kiss grew desperate, their hands now touching and groping, the need for each other blotting out all the rest.

A knock on the cabin door brought them back to the present and they flew apart. Faith's lips were red and swollen, her face was flushed. But she had stopped crying.

Anders stepped away from the door as she stepped forward to open it reluctantly.

"Cumberland is already in sight," Varric began, till he caught sight of Anders standing next to Faith. "Oh. I guess I interrupted something." Faith did not respond, but blushed a deep red, averting Varric's eyes. "Uh...Isabela wants to talk to you, Hawke. I, uh, I think I'll just leave."

Varric turned around and walked off to the stairs that led to the deck, without waiting for a reply.

...

Faith looked up at Anders, who was still looking at her.

"I guess I should go now," she began, her voice cracking at the end of her sentence. Anders said nothing, but continued to gaze at her, the love and lust in his eyes making it difficult for her to continue looking at him. "I - um...you can come. I mean, you can come with me!" She exclaimed, her hand shooting up to the bridge of her nose as she shook her head.

Anders made a choking noise and she stole a glance at him. He was shaking with suppressed laughter, his eyes now twinkling.

Faith let out a snort that turned into a chuckle. They both burst out laughing at the same time and continued to laugh, till the tears started to stream down their cheeks.

She was holding on to her side, gasping for breath when he kissed her again. This time, however, he kept his hands to himself, and kept the kiss tender.

"I love you," he murmured when he broke away. "And yes, I do love you more than anything else in my life right now. I can't bear the thought of losing you. And I will spend my entire life making it up to you. I never, ever want to live without you, Faith."

He bent his head and their foreheads touched, their eyes gazing into their very souls. Anders smiled his sidelong smile at her, and she felt butterflies in her stomach. After all these years, she still didn't know what it was about that smile that caused her knees to turn to jelly.

They heard the calls of Isabela and her crew as they prepared to dock coming from above, and reluctantly broke away from each other. Faith made her way to the wooden ladder that led to the deck silently, Anders following closely behind.

...

Since it was already late in the afternoon, Isabela and Faith both agreed to rent rooms in a nearby inn. Zevran was smiling lazily as he heard them discussing their plan of action, while Anders's smile lit up the entire room. Nobody was really surprised at Anders's sudden change for they knew - thanks to Varric - that something had happened in Hawke's cabin. Judging by Anders's cheery disposition that something had probably meant that they had made up. They kept their opinions to themselves and silently continued to lend their support to Faith.

In order for them not to call attention on themselves, it was agreed that Isabela should walk around and sniff for rumors and other news, while the rest waited on the ship. It was then that Zevran asked to walk around the city with her, and Faith shook her head.

"Maker, no! If you go, Zevran, you will both take _ages_ to get back to us!" She complained.

"Ah, _bella_! Do not worry! I know how anxious you are to get things done, yes? We will return soon," Zevran replied silkily. Faith sighed deeply but did not say anything else, and the rest of them watched them both as they walked off the ship into the city.

They were all having dinner several hours later when Zevran and Isabela returned.

"We've already had something to eat, so by all means continue with your meal," Isabela said as she sat on one of the chairs, while Zevran stood behind her.

"So, what news do you bring?" Faith asked as she finished her dinner, taking a sip of wine from the goblet in front of her.

"Good news and not so good, but mainly rumors. Everyone in Cumberland is all ablaze about what happened in Kirkwall. Some of the mages who escaped are even said to be in the city right now, seeking audience with the Senior Enchanters in the College of Magi. Most people agree that the mages deserve to break away from the Chantry, even!" Isabela said in one breath, stopping to pour herself a glass of wine, then drinking some of it.

Anders eyes had grown wide upon hearing Isabela's words, and he leaned forward eagerly, the remnants of his meal temporarily forgotten.

"We are, however, going to have to do this quick, Hawke. I suggest you change into something other than the armor you are wearing. There are templars about. And Zevran and I caught a glimpse of a poster on the circle walls. They advise people to be on the lookout for a blond mage, dressed in a black feathered-pauldron coat and a dark-haired woman with blue eyes who is wearing a red and gray dragon hide armor. There are drawings on the posters too and the likeness is remarkable. I don't know if it's wise of you to leave the ship at all, Hawke."

"Shit," Faith exclaimed sadly. "I really wanted to take a bath."

"I'll tell you what. You can sneak into the inn late tonight, and I'll have a bath drawn up for you waiting. But it will be cold water."

"Not if I'm there with her," Anders blurted out. Everyone turned to look at him, their eyes wide and blinking. "I mean, I could heat up the water using magic!" He added defensively, stealing a look at Faith who was doing her best not to burst out laughing.

"Oh, I bet you could heat the water up just fine," Isabela purred.

Merrill dissolved into giggles and Rilka slapped a hand over her mouth, while Fenris glared at the whole situation.

"I cannot believe you're joking about all this. Surely you wouldn't put yourself in danger by going, Hawke?" He demanded.

"I'm very good at sneaking around, Fenris," Faith retorted. "Besides, danger is my middle name. I thought you knew by now."

Fenris shook his head disapprovingly. Aveline also disagreed with what she was hearing, and sighed. "I agree with Fenris. Don't risk your life for this, Hawke. Besides, you risk us all being caught."

"Fine! I won't go anywhere then. I'll just stay here, but I'll give you some money, Isabela. You can rent a room at the nearest inn then buy all the supplies we need early tomorrow morning. Happy?"

"We'll probably have to make another stop later on before we reach Val Royeaux anyway," Isabela said. "So you can probably stretch your legs and take your baths then."

Faith wrinkled her nose in disgust, but did not say anything.

"All right then, I did check out the docks rather thoroughly." Isabela continued talking. "There are a couple of inns there. We'll be staying at the Red Mare." She turned to Hawke. "There's water suitable for bathing on the ship here, Hawke, if you really want to take a bath. But the only tub is in my room. If you want, I can have one of the crew fill it up for you. You can even spend the night in my cabin. The room is large and comfortable."

Faith brightened up considerably at this, and nodded vigorously. Isabela chuckled and stood up to make the arrangements.

Anders did not say anything to this, but before Faith could walk off in the direction of the captain's cabin, he leaned forward and what he whispered caused her to stand still in her tracks for a few moments.

"I'll be sure to scrub your back for you, my dear."

...

By the time they reached Isabela's cabin, they could hardly keep their hands off each other.

The tub was large, but not large enough for two people. Anders scrubbed Faith down, his hands gently touching her but avoiding where she wanted to be touched the most on purpose. He wrapped her in a large towel, then drained the tub using magic, and magically conjured ice which he melted using a fire spell for his own bath water. Faith was nipping and kissing his neck and he never knew how he managed to do what he did without breaking down and taking her right then and there.

Faith continued to tease him as he washed, giggling when he cursed. He hurriedly ducked to rinse his hair and popped up again to grab her, nearly unbalancing her. She slipped from his grasp and jumped over to the large bed, while smiling seductively at him. He quickly finished his bath, and dried himself as fast as he could, then walked over to the bed where he stood looking at her before finally taking her in his arms again.

They made love for hours, unable to control themselves. It was like rediscovering each other anew. The sound of their lovemaking filled the cabin as they thrashed on the bed, the desire for each other taking precedence over anything else.

When they were done and spent, they lay in each other's arms, feeling the waves gently rock the ship.

"It's going to take some time for me to trust you fully again," Faith whispered against his chest.

"I know."

"I don't trust you yet..." Faith added.

"I don't expect you to."

"I love you," Faith sighed.

"I love you, too."

...


	48. Leathers, Magic and Love

_**Thanks so much darkkchylde, Freakitten, Suzzy123, KnightOfHolyLight and Lorrain for your awesome reviews! Thanks also to all who have added this fic to their list of favorites! :D And thank you PheonRen for your editing skills! :D **_

_**I'm uploading two chapters this time. This chapter is a chapter with Mature content, really NSFW and explicit sexual content. So you have been warned! The next one takes you a bit further into my crazy fic, as the story progresses. Hope you like them! **_

_**Please take a moment to check out MB18932'S FABULOUS fic: Dragon Age 2 Revisited: Revisited! She's written a tweak to the Faith and Anders' outcome of the Justice quest and it's FABULOUS! Thank you so much for that fic, my friend! Here is the link: .net/s/7752514/1/Dragon_Age_2_Revisted_Revisited (just remember to type in the w w w and fanfiction before the .net. If you can't get to it, a link to the fic is on my favorites list in my profile! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 48 - Leathers, Magic and Love

Isabela arrived the following morning, ordering her men to help her carry all the supplies into the hold. Faith had wanted her to buy food and as much water as possible, and there were quite a few barrels to carry. The morning dragged on and by noon they had managed to secure everything on the ship.

They set sail again that afternoon in the direction of Val Royeaux.

"How long to get there, Isabela?" Faith asked her curiously.

"If there are no storms along the way, a week at the most. We won't be making any stops; we have enough supplies to sail straight to Orlais," the pirate replied.

"What happens if there's a storm?" Faith wondered out loud.

"We ride it out, and hope we're not shipwrecked," Isabela frowned. "Storms in these waters can get really bad."

"I know. It was particularly stormy when we first sailed to Kirkwall from Ferelden," Faith said, the memory of that day so many years ago still fresh in her mind. "All of us were in the hold, packed together. We were frightened, to say the least."

Isabela nodded, smiling wryly. "It's not fun to be shipwrecked. Trust me."

"There are plenty of towns along the way, though, right? Maybe if we see a storm coming, we'll manage to dock somewhere before it hits," Faith murmured.

"I doubt it, Kitten," Isabela chuckled. "Storms rarely warn you. One minute the horizon is nice and clear, and the next, dark clouds roll in and lightning strikes. Nasty things, storms..."

Anders hand grabbed Faith's tightly, squeezing it reassuringly. "Don't worry love, I'm an excellent swimmer."

Faith chuckled, giving him a sidelong glance. "You are, are you?" She teased.

"I once escaped the tower by swimming across Lake Calenhad. Unfortunately, I was caught at the inn where I stopped on the way to Redcliffe," Anders replied mournfully.

"And just how old were you, hmmm?" Faith smirked.

"I was sixteen, why?"

"Sixteen, you say? How long has it been, love?" Faith's smirk was now a wide grin, barely holding her laughter in check.

"Doesn't matter, really. What matters is that I know how to swim," Anders faltered, frowning momentarily.

Varric snickered behind them, and Anders turned to him. "What?" He asked defensively.

"Oh, I was just wondering how difficult it could be to swim in the ocean, as opposed to a lake, where you can actually _see _the shore?"

Faith burst out laughing, while Anders scowled at the dwarf.

"I don't see how you could be joking with this abomination, dwarf," Fenris's angry voice interrupted. "I would have thought you were against what happened in the Gallows."

Anders spun around, seething, a hint of blue in his eyes. Faith quickly stepped closer, her hands gently caressing his face, forcing him to look down into her eyes.

The blue vanished and his eyes, though troubled, bore into hers.

"Fenris, please," Rilka whispered. "It's going to take us a long time to get to the places we intend to go. All of us fought in the battle. All of us are being hunted. I'm a fugitive apostate. Do you really want to do this?"

Fenris turned to Rilka, his gaze softening as he regarded her words. After a few minutes of strained silence, he shook his head gently. "No, of course not," he whispered, but his clear voice carried across.

"Then let's just try to get along as best we can, love," Rilka said softly, her hand caressing his cheek gently.

Fenris allowed himself to be led to the opposite side of the ship, and Anders relaxed. He gave Faith a tender smile and bowed his head slightly to give her a quick kiss.

Faith sighed and turned to look at the waves. Justice had finally made an appearance. Even if it had been a fleeting one.

It was going to be an interesting journey.

...

The trip proved uneventful for the most part. Isabela steered it closer to the coast on the fourth day. She called out to her first mate, asking him to take her place at the wheel, then walked off towards her cabin. Zevran smiled and went after her.

Faith smiled as her eyes scanned the shoreline. It was rugged and rocky for the most part, but there were lots of sandy beaches as well. The view was beautiful and her eyes drank in the beauty, oblivious to anything else at the moment. They had also passed several small ports - towns and villages where the people made their living by fishing and trading - a few days ago, which only added to the beauty of it all.

Strong arms enveloped her in a loving embrace, and she smiled as she leaned against Anders, her eyes still taking in the view hungrily.

"You look like you're in a faraway place, love," Anders murmured, kissing her cheek and nibbling on her earlobe. Faith gasped and a tremor of desire shook her body. Anders smiled as he placed another thoughtful kiss on the side of her neck.

"Stop that, or I won't be able to control myself, never mind that we are on deck, in plain sight," she murmured. Anders stopped, but kept his face pressed to hers, his arms wrapped securely around her waist.

"Where are we heading after Orlais and Amaranthine, love?"

Faith felt slightly uncomfortable as she debated whether or not to tell him the truth. On an impulse, she decided to go for it, bracing herself inwardly for his reaction.

"I've already told Isabela to set sail for Rivain. I specifically want to go to Llomerryn."

Anders stiffened a bit, and she disentangled herself from his arms, turning to gaze up into his eyes.

"Why Llomerryn? There are no templars there, no circle mages," he frowned, his brow furrowed.

"Which is exactly why we should go there, love. We have to lay low for a while, throw the scent off us if we want to fight and help the mages."

"So what you're saying is that we should just let them fight alone? Without us?" He asked in an agitated voice.

"No, you're misinterpreting it completely," Faith began, but Anders did not wait for her to continue speaking. A hint of blue flashed in his eyes.

"How am I misinterpreting it? We won't be fighting at all if we're in Llomerryn!"

"Anders," Faith began, her eyes sad. "Listen to me, please. If we fling ourselves into the fight this early on, we'll get captured before we can win any battle. We need to see what happens first. We need to plan ahead. We'll be no help if we just walk into any city right now. We'll only get captured, and what help will we be then?"

"So we're going to abandon the mages?" He snapped. "That's it?"

Faith tried to control the anger that was rapidly surfacing. "No, I didn't say that. We _will_ fight and help. But first we have to see what they do! We have to see how the mages and the Chantry have reacted to - to the whole incident in Kirkwall. We can't help if we don't know where the battle is taking place, can we? We need to listen for news, and prepare. And plan. We need to avoid getting captured."

Anders stood there, looking at her, the blue in his eyes rapidly vanishing as he realized that what she was saying made sense.

"You're right," he breathed, his hands now at her shoulders as he moved closer. "I'm sorry, love. I should not have lost control."

His lips descended on hers, interrupting her sigh of relief.

Moments later, when they returned to the wooden rail to look at the rolling waves and shoreline beyond, Faith turned to look at him as he smiled at the view before them.

"You didn't," she whispered, a tender smile on her lips.

"What?" He turned to look at her, a puzzled look on his face.

"You didn't lose control."

Her eyes shone with pride and love. Pride for him.

Anders felt his breath catching in his throat as he pulled her in a tender, loving embrace. Never before had anyone been proud of him so intensely before and he reveled in this knowledge, his love for her even blotting out Justice.

...

"What's this?" Anders asked, as she tossed the leather armor in his direction.

"That's what you'll be wearing for when we visit cities in the future," Faith replied, as she continued to rummage through Isabela's chest. "Thankfully, Isabela found some leathers scattered around the ship when she boarded it for the first time and she kept them."

"Excuse me? You want me to wear _these_?" Anders held up the leather chest piece and leggings, his eyes wide with shock.

"They don't weigh much. I'd daresay they weigh as much as what you are wearing right now," she replied coolly, shutting the chest firmly and turning to look at him, her arms crossed.

"I can't wear these! They smell funny!" He wrinkled his nose in disgust. "I won't wear them! I won't!"

"They smell like leather, Anders. You have to wear them," Faith tapped her foot on the wooden floor impatiently. "I'd like to see if they fit, so I can look for another set if they don't."

"But they aren't even enchanted! I need protection," he continued to protest.

"If that is your main worry, we can ask Sandal to enchant them, love," Faith said a cheerful tone.

Anders scowled, holding the leather chest piece as far away as he could from his body.

"Just tell me _why_ I have to do this?" He curled his lip up at the offending leathers.

Faith sighed. "You heard Isabela. They're looking for a blond mage wearing a black coat with feathered pauldrons. Do you think they'll look twice at a blond man wearing leathers?"

"Andraste's flaming knickerweasels!" Anders cursed as he quickly took off his tunic and loose trousers, then reluctantly put on the tight tunic that went under the chest piece. "It's too tight!"

"The tunic you wear under the armor is _supposed_ to be tight," Faith sighed again. "Now get into the chest piece and I'll help you with the buckles."

"Fine!"

They struggled for a few minutes with the chest piece, and Faith handed him the short leggings.

"Put these on over your smalls," she instructed.

"But - but these only cover half my thighs! What about the rest of my legs?" He protested again, looking at the leggings in absolute horror.

"That's the way leather armor works, darling. Come on, just put them on," Faith coaxed, her voice sweet and gentle.

Anders put on the tight leggings, huffing a little as he pulled them up.

Faith then handed him the leather skirt and he gave her a withering look before donning that on also.

Once he was dressed, she looked at him, a pang of desire shooting across her body. He looked so very handsome! She gave a soft sigh, but Anders heard it, his eyes narrowing immediately.

"What? I look ridiculous, don't I? Don't I?" He snapped, but Faith advanced on him hungrily. Standing on the tips of her toes, she gave him a kiss that left him breathless.

"What are you-" Anders began, as he broke away from the kiss in confusion. But Faith stopped him from speaking any further with another hungry kiss, her hands now slipping under his skirt, one of them caressing his inner thigh, the other inching towards his groin, where his penis had started to react to her ministrations.

His hands fell on her buttocks, massaging them roughly as she vainly tried to pull the leggings back down again. They were so tight that she was having a lot of trouble doing that. She whined into his mouth and he moaned back, grinding himself on her, his hands now roaming over her back, one of them flying to the nape of her neck and burying itself in her hair.

She tugged again at the leggings, grateful that he hadn't tied the laces at least, but could not get them to move. He growled into her mouth as her hand stroked his now stiff cock over the sheer fabric, and his hands flew to the offending leggings, tugging to push them down.

They finally budged and he gave a sigh which she swallowed hungrily, her mouth again devouring his, her tongue snaking deeply into his mouth. His arousal throbbed against his smalls, and he frantically pulled at the leggings, desperation causing him to rip the fabric. She broke away from the kiss, beaming at him.

He grinned back, relieved as he pushed the ripped leggings down along with his smalls, his erection finally free from its confinement. Bending his head, he captured her lips again, and his hands worked on the leather skirt, releasing it quickly. It fell around his feet on the wooden floor, and Faith jumped and wound her legs around his back.

He moaned and pulled her to him as tightly as he could, his hands on her skirt, infinitely grateful that she was wearing a dress. Pushing the skirt upwards was so easy compared to the leggings ordeal that they both moaned and gasped when his hands found the ties on her smalls, eagerly untying them. Pushing her gently away a bit, he ripped the smalls off, and flung them to the floor, his other hand digging into her bare bottom.

Faith gave a cry of pleasure and pressed herself on his cock, and he turned to walk towards the desk in the room, intending to place her on it. The leggings around his feet made him trip and he fell with a crash to the wooden floor, with Faith on top of him.

"Ow!" He yelped, but then she was straddling him, her clit rubbing against his arousal with maddening insistence. He bit his lower lip as he looked at her through half-lidded eyes.

Her dress, that had been bunched around her waist initially, now covered her and she gave a grunt as she unbuttoned it quickly, flinging it over her arms. She was not wearing a breast band, and his hands automatically honed in on her breasts, taking one in each as she hissed and rubbed herself against his erection.

"Oh!" Anders cried out, his fingers tweaking her nipples, sending waves of pleasure through her body. She descended upon him for a hungry kiss, then sat up again, grasping his arousal in her hand, stroking it gently. He hissed, his eyes dark with passion, and his hands grabbed her hips. He _needed_ her. He _needed _to feel her walls tight around his erection. Grunting, he pulled her closer, but she broke away, and slid back.

Looking at him coyly, she brought her lips to his cock, licking at the glistening drop of precum on the tip. He hissed again, grabbing her head, his hands digging into her hair wildly.

She sucked and stroked, her hand deftly bringing him to the edge quickly.

"Faith. I can't -" he moaned, his release dangerously close.

But she continued to suck, and he let out a cry as he spilled his seed into her mouth. She smiled as she swallowed, then sat up, sliding upwards, positioning herself over his throbbing cock that was fast becoming soft.

"A little bit of magic, darling," she purred, her lips hungrily devouring his again.

Smiling into her mouth, he focused and with a flicker of his hand sent a rejuvenating spell over himself. His penis sprang back to life and she hummed appreciatively, while her hands unbuckled his chest piece, caressing his chest over the thin, tight tunic he wore.

He sent sparks to her clit and she arched her back. Sitting up, he took his tunic off hastily, then moved to pull her back to him.

Their hands roamed all over each other, eliciting moans and gasps from their lips. Anders struggled to position her, and she let him this time, his fingers massaging her nub, is other hand grasping her hip.

She took his swollen cock into her hand, pressing the tip into the entrance of her core, and he wriggled impatiently, groaning hoarsely.

"Sweetheart, just let me..." he rasped, as his hand sent lightning sparks to her clit, causing her to arch her back and moan.

They were both panting as she descended on his throbbing erection, and he hissed, his eyes taking in her every movement, his hands holding on to her hips. Her walls, wet and tight around him, nearly sent him over the edge again, but he took a deep breath and focused on massaging her nub. In a few minutes, he felt her tightening against him, her body shuddering with waves of pleasure, her cries filling the room.

"Anders! Oh! Anders!" She repeated over and over again, a sweet litany to his ears. She rocked above him, up and down, and he thrust up eagerly meeting each movement.

They quickened their pace, as he felt her tightening, her release almost upon her. He was on the brink himself, waiting for her, still sending sparks on her clit. "Oh, love, come for me..." he moaned, and her walls finally convulsed around him.

He gave a deep thrust and felt his release spurting into her as she cried out his name again and again, her walls clenching around him tightly.

She collapsed against his chest, breathing as heavily as he was, his hands now on her back as he pressed her to him.

They lay there panting heavily, catching their breaths, the sweat rolling down their bodies.

After a few minutes, he lifted his head slightly to kiss the top of her head, and she brought her face up to smile at him. He smiled back, then lay back down on the floor again, his smile turning into a grin.

"I'm never saying 'no' to leathers again."

...

Anders cast a spell on Isabela's tub and smiled as he gazed at the solid ice that now filled it. Faith turned a lazy glance at his direction, then smiled as he heated the tub, the ice inside melting into warm water. They took turns bathing then dried themselves and got dressed again.

Anders looked at the torn leggings on the floor, and Faith found a replacing pair, which she gave him.

There was a knock on the door, and Anders cast a fireball spell on the water, watching as it boiled and evaporated instantly.

Faith walked to the door, unlocking and opening it.

"Are you two done?" Isabela said impatiently. "I really have to look at the log and write some things down."

Zevran smirked behind Isabela and Faith grinned.

"Of course. We ran into some difficulties," she chuckled as Anders took the leather armor set, leaving the torn leggings on the floor. Isabela spotted them, and she burst out laughing.

"We won't be long. Val Royeaux is very near, so I'll be on deck soon," Isabela informed them.

Faith and Anders nodded, smiling, then left the room and walked to their cabin. Anders put the leathers into his pack and turned to give her a gentle kiss. They smiled at each other, then headed to the deck above.

...

"I _will_ see you again, _tesoro_. I swear I'll find you," Zevran murmured against Isabela's skin as they lay on her bed.

"Don't make promises you won't keep," Isabela said, sitting up and moving to put on her smalls.

Zevran said nothing, his eyes roaming over her curves, his hands trying to pull her back into his embrace.

She wriggled away, shaking her head, finally putting her shirt on and moving on to her boots. He looked at her, his yellowish eyes distant, his mind a million miles away.

Sitting up in bed he gave an audible sigh, but Isabela was looking down at a leather-bound book, studying something and appeared not to have heard him. He dressed in his leathers, then walked over to where she was, putting his hands on her waist.

She stiffened. "You know I'm not much for coddling, Zevran. I'm not much for goodbyes either. So let's just not make it more difficult."

He spun her around and kissed her hungrily. When he broke away from the kiss, there was mild surprise in her eyes for a few seconds. Then he turned away.

"I'll get my things," he said softly, leaving the cabin quickly.

And Isabela brought a hand to her lips, touching them softly before she shook her head and made her way to the deck, her lips now set in a thin line.

...


	49. Orlais and Then Some

_**A quick look into Orlais, but more importantly the first of the companions who leave... :(**_

_**Enjoy! :D **_

Chapter 49 - Orlais and Then Some

Divine Justinia V looked troubled as she read the parchment again. Sighing, she turned around and faced the statue of Andraste, her brow furrowed in thought. The spark that had been lit in Kirkwall was rapidly spreading, and she was afraid for the mages and templars alike.

"Your Eminence," Leliana bowed before her. "You wished to see me?"

"Rise, Leliana. I have a job for you. You know the Hero of Ferelden, isn't that right?"

"That is correct, Your Eminence," Leliana murmured, her cheeks flushing.

"I know you are married to her brother. Your position is of utmost importance. You must help us. I believe she was once the Warden-Commander in Amaranthine?"

"Yes, Your Eminence. I believe she was," Leliana replied, the blush on her cheeks still present, her gaze fixed on the floor.

"Do not look away. I know you feel uncomfortable, but you must not. The Maker often guides us away from those we love."

Leliana bowed her head. "Yes, Your Eminence."

"I would like you to write to her first. Ask her if she would come to Orlais to speak to me. If she refuses, you may have to travel there yourself."

"I don't understand..." Leliana blinked, taken aback by the Divine's request.

"The recent events in Kirkwall, Leliana. They are saying that the apostate who blew up the Chantry was under the Warden-Commander's protection. I wish to talk to her so that she can convince the Champion of Kirkwall to help us." Justinia paused, her clear blue eyes regarding Leliana seriously. "Before this escalates and turns into a great war between mages and templars."

"But she may not know where this apostate is now, Your Eminence. Both he and the Champion have disappeared. She is the Queen of Ferelden, she must see to other things."

"I know this. But you must try to contact her. We must end this war before it begins. We must avoid the bloodshed," Justinia said sadly.

Leliana said nothing to this, but stared at the Divine, while her mind flew to Ferelden. She remembered the hurt in Fergus's eyes, the pain she had caused him. She struggled to get a grip on herself, before letting the tears she was holding back fall.

"My Child, I understand the mages' plight better than most. I wish to give them a better life. I fear that the Chantry has abused its position. I cannot be in each and every circle. I cannot live with the Templars in each city to ensure that they treat the mages better." Justinia stopped talking, her sadness now more apparent. "You understand why you must do this?"

"Yes, Your Eminence," Leliana said in a small voice, the images of Fergus and Alyssa haunting her.

"Go then. May the Maker guide your steps."

...

Isabela's eyes scanned the docks in Orlais, her whole face blank as she forced herself to look nonchalant. Orana fidgeted beside her nervously, while Bodahn and Sandal walked quickly to keep up with her long strides.

"The Palace is far from here. We must hire a carriage to get there," the pirate said, frowning slightly. She still did not understand how she had been talked into doing this and felt ill at ease about the whole thing. Spotting a small building that bore a sign with the words _'Loyer - Voiture_', she made her way to it, Orana, Bodahn and Sandal close behind. Her Orlesian was rusty, but she knew the words on that sign meant that they could get a carriage there.

"I'm sorry we are causing you an inconvenience, Serah," Bodahn said as they reached the door.

Isabela stopped and turned to Bodahn, her eyes now falling on the rest of the small group. When her gaze reached Orana's wide, fearful eyes, she felt a pang of pity for them. Guilt crept in and replaced her initial annoyance. She was here because Faith could not be seen and because she had agreed to deliver Orana, Bodahn and Sandal safely to the Imperial Palace. True, she had agreed partly to get Zevran out of her mind, but now that she looked into their eyes and saw their discomfort and fear, she understood that she _had to_ do this and if she didn't, she would feel badly about it afterwards.

"Oh, Bodahn, stop it. I want to help," she smiled, then turned to Orana again. "You mustn't look so frightened, Orana. Nobody is going to eat you."

"Yes, Mistress," Orana trembled.

"I won't let you be thrown out on the street. If the Empress wants Sandal so badly, she will have to take you in, too," Bodahn said, patting the elven servant's hand kindly.

Orana managed a tremulous, weak smile, blinking back the tears furiously, and Isabela rolled her eyes. For a split second, she had forgotten how melodramatic Orana could be.

Two templars walked past them and the whole group froze for a few seconds. The templars were not speaking in Orlesian, so Isabela caught what they were saying very clearly.

"All I'm saying is that the apostate that caused all this could be on the way to Tevinter by now. They insist on looking for the Champion and him in every city and it's stupid, that's what."

"Be that as it may, we cannot disobey our orders..." The second templar's voice faded away as they disappeared into the crowd of people.

Briefly, Isabela wondered why Faith had asked her to sail for Rivain after their stop in Amaranthine. Tevinter seemed to be the most reasonable place to run to, after all.

"Messere?" Bodahn's voice brought her back to what they were doing with a start.

"Sorry. Let's go," Isabela replied as she opened the door.

...

Faith looked nervous as she scanned the docks, her hands gripping the rail before her. It had been hard to say goodbye to Bodahn, Sandal and Orana, and she still felt a lump in her throat. Anders stood beside her, his arm around her shoulders, his other hand suddenly covering one of her hands on the rail.

"Sweetheart, don't do this to yourself. Orana will be fine," he whispered, leaning slightly to kiss her cheek.

"I know, but I can't help but worry. Nothing is certain, is it?" Faith turned slightly, her eyes locking themselves on his.

"Cousin, could you help me decorate Isabela's cabin? I finally finished the drapes and covers for the bed. I want the whole thing to be ready so that she can see it when she comes back," Rilka said happily and slightly out of breath, interrupting whatever it was that Anders was about to say.

Faith turned to her smiling, her eyes catching Fenris standing behind Rilka.

"Of course, Rilka. I'd love to help," Faith said, then took Rilka's arm. The cousins both began to walk across the deck and towards the wooden ladder that led to the cabins and hold below, leaving Fenris and Anders standing there. Both men looked at the docks before them nonchalantly.

The silence between them was uncomfortable. Fenris did nothing to needle Anders, and for once Anders was grateful. He did not feel strong enough to control Justice should he make an appearance, because Justice was constantly trying to take control over him ever since Faith had told him they would be going to Llomerryn.

Varric arrived anticipating trouble and started talking to Fenris, while Anders walked off towards Merrill, who was standing on the opposite side, looking out towards the open sea.

"I thought you would want to take a look at the city, Merrill," he smiled at her.

Merrill smiled back then shook her head. "I thought so, too. But after a while I thought it better to stay here. I'm an elf. I can't go frolicking around the docks. People might want to capture me and turn me into a slave. I know slavery is frowned upon, don't get me wrong. But I don't want to call unnecessary attention to myself."

Anders nodded, his eyes momentarily locked on the waves. They said nothing to each other for a few minutes, but Anders didn't mind. At least the silence between them was not uncomfortable.

"I stopped, you know," Merrill finally said, her voice small and quiet, barely heard above the cries of the gulls circling overhead.

"Sorry, what?" Anders said, bowing his head and leaning in.

Merrill licked her lips, something she did whenever she was nervous. Her big, green eyes regarded Anders thoughtfully and he smiled genuinely at her. This seemed to calm Merrill and she finally spoke again.

"I stopped," she repeated, louder this time.

"Stopped?" Anders's puzzled voice echoed.

"Stopped using blood magic. I haven't used it for over four years now. I wasn't using it when we..." her voice faltered, "...when the keeper died..."

Anders was taken aback momentarily. He hadn't expected this confession from Merrill. Most of all, he hadn't known she had stopped using blood magic. He actually believed she still relied on it, and had even argued with her about it on their way to the cave to confront the demon, before Keeper Marethari was killed. He felt a pang of guilt, wishing now that he had not been so harsh with Merrill.

"Oh," he said simply, ransacking his brain to come up with something better to say.

"I wanted you to know this. Because I think what you did was brave. And I admire you, in spite of what the rest might think of you. Not that I _know_ what they think..." Merrill was babbling now, and Anders felt himself smile.

"It's all right, Merrill. I know the others only tolerate me because I'm Faith's husband."

"Well, I just wanted to you to know. Not that it makes a difference anyway. But what I wanted to say is that we're both mages, and well...we should probably stick together, right?" Merrill gave him a small smile, her eyes looking bigger than ever.

Anders smiled back, realizing for the first time that Merrill was like the sibling he would never have. "I think we already do, Merrill," he said, his smile widening to a grin.

Merrill smiled back, visibly relieved that he understood her. She looked at the waves again, her eyes darting around as she struggled to say something else.

"I think you should trust her, you know." She finally said, pausing for a bit to catch her breath. "She would never do anything that is bad for us. I trust her completely, you know," she added, without looking at him.

"I do trust her," Anders replied in a puzzled voice. He didn't understand where Merrill was going with all this.

"Then don't complain about going to Llomerryn," Merrill shot back, still not looking at him.

Anders's mouth parted slightly, surprised at Merrill's comment. It seemed that Merrill wasn't as oblivious to everything as he believed her to be.

...

"We are sorry, but elves have no rights in Orlais. They are things we use at our own convenience. We cannot allow one to enter the palace freely, unless she is your servant, yes?" The guard raked his eyes over Orana, and she trembled slightly.

Isabela fought against the anger she was feeling towards the man. It would not do to cut his throat. Her brow furrowed in thought, as Bodahn twisted his hands before him worriedly.

"What will happen to her?"

"She will be taken to the alienage directly. We cannot let an elf into the palace without her mistress," the guard replied nonchalantly.

"But surely the Empress could use another servant in the palace?" Isabela said, fluttering her eyelashes at the guard in a final act of desperation.

The guard looked Isabela up and down and licked his lips. "Even if I could decide, I would not dare to disobey the law, Mademoiselle. I do not think this elf would find a place in the palace. She does not speak Orlesian. She would not be able to follow a simple order." The guard turned to Bodahn and Sandal, nodding at them. "You are free to pass. The Empress has been expecting you for some time," he added, returning the parchment they had presented to him which bore the Imperial seal. Bodahn stuffed the Empress's letter back into his pack and turned sorrowfully towards Orana.

"I'm sorry, Orana. It looks like you're going to have to return to - ah..." he stopped himself just in time before saying Hawke's name.

"It's all right, Bodahn. I will miss you," Orana replied, smiling genuinely for the first time since they left the ship. She turned to Sandal. "Goodbye, Sandal. Be good."

"Enchantment!" Sandal said sadly, then hugged the elven servant while Isabela bit her lower lip in concern. The guard cleared his throat, his eyes lustfully looking at Isabela and her eyes darted to his. A sneer formed on her lips.

"We'll be going then," she said haughtily, turning and taking Orana's arm, the guard's eyes following them every step of the way until they disappeared into the carriage waiting for them in the courtyard.

...

Faith could not believe it. Orana was standing before her, a smile on her lips.

"What happened?" She asked Isabela directly.

"Long story short: they wouldn't let her in. It seems that the Orlesians frown upon elves to the point where they are no better than things. Stupid guard made some comments that made me want to stick a dagger in his chest," Isabela shook her head, her eyes flashing angrily. "Elves aren't allowed inside the palace without a mistress or master tugging at their leashes. It's as simple as that. I just couldn't leave her there, Hawke. The guard said she would be sent to the alienage, but there is no doubt in my mind that he would have 'played' with her before doing that."

Anders frowned, and a hint of blue flashed into his eyes and was quickly gone before anyone could see it. Faith's eyes flashed angrily and it was hard to tell who was angrier, Isabela or her. Fenris shook his head, a look of disgust on his face, and Rilka gave a surprised gasp, while Merrill, Aveline, Donnic and Varric stood quietly around, their lips set in thin lines, forming a tight semi-circle as Isabela finished telling them what had happened.

"I won't be a bother to you, Mistress, I promise," Orana said in a small voice.

"Oh, Orana! I don't think of you as a bother at all," Faith cried in a dismayed voice. "It's just that we'll be on the run now, and I want you to be safe."

"We're already on the run, Hawke," Merrill said, for once making sense, and the rest turned to look at her, mildly surprised. Merrill blushed and opened her mouth to continue speaking but to their surprise, Fenris spoke up.

"And we will all protect you, Orana. There is nothing to worry about."

Faith turned to Orana with a smile. The elven servant was close to tears, but the look on her face was the happiest Faith had seen in a long time.

...

They reached Amaranthine two weeks later, and docked early in the morning. Faith had been up even earlier, as she hadn't been able to sleep very well.

They all assembled on the deck to say their goodbyes.

The ginger-haired guard stood in front of Faith, unable to say a word for some time, blinking back tears furiously. Beside her, Donnic looked on sadly as he lay a comforting hand on Aveline's back.

"Stay out of trouble, Hawke," Aveline finally managed to say.

"What would give you the idea that I get into trouble?" Faith shot back, determined to keep the goodbyes light this time.

"You are impossible," Aveline shook her head, giving her a watery smile.

"But you love it," Faith quickly retorted.

Aveline broke down and hugged her, crying stormily, and Faith hugged her back. Donnic started to say goodbye to everyone else. Embraces and handshakes were given and received all around. Aveline pried herself from Hawke's arms, and quickly said goodbye to the rest, leaving Anders for last.

"Don't you dare hurt her," Aveline said to Anders as she extended her hand.

"I won't," Anders replied evenly, as he took her hand and shook it.

"If I find out you hurt her in any way, you know I'll hunt you down and kill you," she added through clenched teeth.

"I wouldn't expect anything different from you, Guard Captain," Anders said quietly.

They stood there glaring at each other for a few minutes before Aveline suddenly gave Anders a quick bear hug and left him standing beside Faith. Taking Donnic's hand, she quickly got off the ship without looking back.

Anders looked stunned, but soon recovered, taking Faith into his arms as she had started to weep. All of them watched Aveline and Donnic silently until they disappeared from view.

"And then there were seven," Varric's hoarse voice echoed across the deck.

...


	50. Water, Water Everywhere

_**Just a brief note to thank all those of you who reviewed (KnightOfHolyLight, darkkchylde, Lorrain, LadyDarksbane, MB18932 - HE has written a twist to my chapter on Justice quest called 'Dragon Age: Revisited - Revisited, please check it out as it is an awesome fic! Link is in my Favorites in my profile! :D I also want to thank all those of you who have listed my fic in your favorites as well! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I just play with the characters. **_

Chapter 50 - Water, Water Everywhere

Sailing in the open sea was horrible. Faith did not understand how Isabela could love it so much. After a couple of months of looking at the water, she was getting sick of it. Her friends tried to busy themselves with various tasks but were looking as bored as she was as they quickly ran out of things to do. Anders had started to give Rilka advanced healing classes, and at least they were busy. Also, since Anders was asked by Isabela to be the healer of the ship, he had a busier life than any of them, which made Faith sometimes glare at him. Why couldn't she be good at something else beside killing people?

Their relationship was still on shaky ground. Whenever they got close to the coast, she watched him like a hawk - no pun intended - possibly keeping in mind that he had escaped the tower by swimming across Lake Calenhad. Anders felt her eyes following him around everywhere. At the beginning, he found it amusing, but later on he had to force himself to keep busy to stop himself from screaming.

It was worse if they stopped at one of the small villages along the coast, avoiding the bigger city-ports. She half-expected him to disappear out of her sight forever in these cases, and Anders knew she was thinking he would probably start a revolt in the peaceful little towns, something he dared not do at the moment. Not while the explosion of the Chantry in Kirkwall was still so fresh in everyone's mind at least.

They still hadn't left the Free Marshes behind entirely, and as Isabela kept a steady course to Llomerryn they wondered how long it would take to reach their destination.

"We're going to need more supplies soon, Hawke," Isabela said one morning. "Hercinia is close, but I'd wait to dock in Wycome. It's larger than Hercinia, and we should get far more supplies there."

"Larger, huh? Which also means more of a chance of running into templars. We'll go to Hercinia," Faith said, her lips in a thin line which clearly meant that was the end of the discussion.

"Well, you don't want to hear it from me, simply because I'm not exactly an example of morality, but you should know that Hercinia is not a town that is notable for its chastity," Isabela smirked.

"Good, that means there's no chantry there," Faith retorted, turning around to end the discussion.

"All right," Isabela said. "If you decide to stretch your legs there, don't say I didn't warn you!"

Faith's eyes caught Anders's, and he gave her a small smile, which she didn't return.

"I'm off to take a nap," she remarked, making a beeline for the ladder that led to the hold.

"Use my bed, looks like you need a lot of rest," Isabela's voice sang back at her.

Anders stared after her, turning to look back at Isabela momentarily.

"I'd go after her. It looks like she needs to get laid," Isabela laughed.

He shook his head and headed off to the hold himself, wishing for Llomerryn and sturdy ground beneath his feet.

...

He rapped at Isabela's door, then waited for a reply. After a few minutes, Faith's annoyed voice responded.

"Who is it?"

"Who do you think it is?" Anders barked back. "Can I come in?"

"If you want to, but I'm not in the best of moods," she yelled back.

"As if I hadn't noticed," he muttered to himself as he opened the door, and walked into the room.

"Actually, I'm glad you showed up. I need a bath," Faith said, looking at the tub wistfully.

"I'm mortally wounded right now. I knew it was just the magic all along, but I tried to keep my hopes up. Vainly...I see that now," he replied in mock hurt tones.

She scowled at him briefly then turned to look at the ocean through the only window in the room.

"What is it, love. What has you so upset?" He asked, taking a few steps in her direction.

"Nothing, I suppose. It's all that water. No solid ground. I guess it's taking its toll on me," she shrugged. "At least you're the healer. You have things to do around here."

"There's something else. I can feel it. But if you don't wish to tell me," he sent a cone of cold spell into the tub and rapidly threw a fire spell at it in succession, "then that's all right, too."

Faith undressed to get into the tub, now full of lukewarm water. Anders stared at her figure, swallowing thickly. They hadn't made love in a while now, and he yearned to take her in his arms and -

Faith's voice cut through his thoughts, interrupting his line of thinking. Apparently she had been speaking for some time, but he had been daydreaming about their last lovemaking session and hadn't caught the first part. "...don't you think?"

Anders stared at her, his mind desperately searching for something to say, as she stared up at him, her body relaxing in the water.

"Whatever you say, love," he said, trying to keep his eyes on her face.

Faith sighed. "You haven't heard a word of what I said, have you? Never mind. Could you at least hand me the soap?"

He walked to the table where Isabela kept various knick-knacks - a bar of soap among them, took it and handed it to Faith, his eyes now staring at her body with longing.

"I'm sorry, love. I got...um...distracted," he said, looking as miserable as he felt.

She sighed. "I was asking you for your opinion. It's better for us to stop and dock in Hercinia, isn't it? I mean, do you object to that? And please don't lie to me." The last part was added with a certain amount of annoyance, and Anders's eyes flitted back to her face.

"No, I don't think I'll lie to you again, even if you don't believe that right now." His voice was low and Faith tilted her head back to stare in his eyes. After a few minutes, she probably decided she believed him, or maybe she just wanted to enjoy her bath, and returned to her scrubbing.

"Do you think Isabela was exaggerating?" Faith asked in a conversational tone.

She was torturing him. There was no other explanation for it. Anders swallowed thickly, forcing himself to tear his eyes away from the way she was caressing herself as she washed.

"About what?" The two words were strangled, and Faith paused only to duck her head into the water.

"About Hercinia. Do you honestly believe it's a city of sin?"

Anders looked at her, but she seemed to be serious, so he tried to focus on answering since she was determined to have this conversation.

"I don't know what to believe. Coming from Isabela, this one is a tough call."

"I thought so myself." She rinsed her hair and Anders could at once tell she was in a better mood, for she had a shadow of a smile on her face. She stood up in the water, and asked for a towel, looking at him innocently. Anders gave a curt nod, walking towards the cupboard and pulling out a large one, then handing it over to her.

"I'll just - leave then," he said thickly, trying to keep the last bit of his control from slipping.

She burst out laughing. A rich, melodious laugh that rooted him to the spot. "You're joking, right? It's your turn to bathe. I won't let you touch me if you haven't taken a proper bath, Anders. Really! You're my husband! Don't you know me at all?"

And as Anders readied the tub for his bath and stole glances at her drying herself, he concluded that maybe he didn't know her that well, but at this moment he was overjoyed that he didn't.

...

She fell asleep in his arms, exhausted from their lovemaking. After a few minutes, he quietly disentangled himself from her embrace, and flexed his left arm to get the circulation going in it again. He sat up slowly, trying to make the least amount of noise possible, and succeeded in getting out of bed and getting dressed. Smiling at her sleeping form, he bent down and kissed her forehead gently, smoothing a strand of hair away from her face in the process.

He wasn't used to taking naps. Moreover, the whole cabin was incredibly warm, and he moved towards the open window catching sight of the small city of Hercinia, he rightly guessed, coming into view. It looked innocent enough from where he was standing.

He looked back at Faith, hating to wake her. She looked so peaceful, and besides, he knew she sorely needed sleep. So, he left the room and made his way back up to the deck.

"She's asleep," he told Isabela, answering the question before it was even asked. "I didn't want to wake her; she needs to rest."

Isabela gave him a nod. "I agree. We'll be docking soon enough. I daresay she'll probably sleep through all the racket. Those dark circles under her eyes say it all."

"You should let her sleep at nights, Blondie," Varric teased behind him.

"But, I don't keep her awake! Andraste's knickerweasels, Varric, you really think I would do that?"

Varric only grinned back at him, and Anders rolled his eyes. Isabela, meanwhile, started shouting out orders at her crew, and the ship sprang to life. Soon, the large ship was docking and the rest of Faith's friends soon joined the others on deck.

"Where's Hawke?" Merrill asked as her eyes roamed over the deck.

"Sleeping, Daisy," Varric replied before Anders had a chance to do so.

At that moment, Faith appeared on the deck, out of breath from running up the wooden ladder, her eyes wide open and confused, her hair tousled and wild. Her eyes scanned the deck, stopping only when they reached Anders. Giving an audible sigh of relief, she turned to go back to the room.

"Wait, Hawke, we've arrived at Hercinia!" Isabela yelled after her, but the only thing that they saw before she disappeared was her hand waving dismissively.

"I guess that means we're not going to explore the city right now?" Merrill asked, her large eyes roaming over all of them in turn.

Anders hardly heard her. He had just understood why Faith was so annoyed. She didn't trust him, he knew that for sure. But he never thought that she would honestly believe that he would just leave her behind.

He felt Justice stirring inside him, but he pushed him back.

He would have to work extra hard at winning her trust back. And that would just have to be his sole priority from now on, Justice be damned.

...

He was stretched on the bed beside her when she woke up the following morning, sleeping soundly, his face and body turned in her direction which told Faith that he had probably fallen asleep looking at her - watching over her. This knowledge filled her with a sense of security she hadn't felt in a while. A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and her right hand brushed a blond lock away from his eyes tenderly.

He stirred, mumbling something incoherent under his breath. The only word she caught was 'love' and her smile deepened. His eyelashes fluttered and soon his warm brown eyes were regarding her sleepily.

"Good morning," she whispered. Anders blinked again, and smiled at her, then closed his eyes again.

"Morning," he mumbled.

"Did you rest well?" She asked softly.

"Mmmm. A few hours at least," he replied, opening his eyes again. He regarded her in silence for a few moments, his look tender and loving.

"You need to stay in bed and get more rest then," she said. "And I won't take 'no' for an answer."

He was wide awake now, and he grinned at her words. "Aren't you at least a little curious about Hercinia?"

"Are you?"

His brow furrowed slightly. "Is that a trick question?"

She laughed and he pulled her to him, kissing her - a slow kiss that curled her toes. When his lips moved down to her neck she moaned and he smiled.

A knock on their door interrupted them and Anders groaned.

"Hey, you two! Isabela left for the town last night and she hasn't returned yet," Varric's voice said from the other side of the closed door.

Faith sighed. "All right, Varric. We'll be on deck shortly."

"You know what that means, don't you?" Anders said, his tone serious but his eyes twinkling.

"What?"

"Hercinia is indeed the City of Lust. There's no way Isabela would tear herself away from _that_..."

She chuckled and got out of bed, swatting his hands away when he tried to pull her back. "I have to see what the rest want to do."

Anders sat up in bed and sighed dramatically. "Dear heart! You'd dare leave me alone? Whatever shall I do without -"

"Get dressed. You're coming with me."

Anders crashed back down on the mattress, clutching dramatically at his heart, which made Faith burst out laughing - a sound that filled him with such joy he could not stop the stupid grin that spread across his face.

...

They were sitting in a tavern, after finally having found Isabela. Anders was wearing the leather armor and felt terribly uncomfortable. Every so often he would squirm in his seat. That was not strange at all, considering the scene that was unfolding before them. In fact, Faith could not tell if he was squirming because of the armor or because of what was happening around them.

The inn was warm, the fire in the huge fireplace burning steadily. The people in the inn were either sitting at the tables or lying on them, in several stages of nudity. Some were laughing and nobody was paying attention to them, so engrossed they were with their partners. The innkeeper, a chubby man wearing simple trousers and a tunic, smiled at them as he approached the table.

"What would ya like to have, then?" He smiled toothlessly at them. "We got wine, ale and stew."

Faith turned to Fenris and Rilka, who were trying hard not to look around, while Merrill was staring at everything, her huge green eyes bigger than ever. Anders squirmed again in his seat.

"Um, I think the stew. Oh, and some wine. Wine would be nice, right?" Faith asked, peering at each of her friends. Nobody answered . Faith sighed. "Just bring us the stew and the wine, please."

Isabela appeared from the upper floor, flushed and wearing a grin on her face. She flopped down on the only empty chair at their table. "I'm starving!"

Nobody really noticed Isabela's sudden appearance; what was happening around them took precedence over everything else.

They did manage to eat and drink, primly sitting at the table, trying hard not to look around so that they could finish their meal. When they were done, Faith announced they should head back to the ship, and Isabela pouted, but nodded, which surprised Faith a little. Fenris and Rilka were already standing and moving to make their way to the front door.

Faith paid the innkeeper, a small smile on her lips as she stood up, the rest standing as well. Merrill was the only one who remained seated, her eyes still wide and staring.

"Merrill," Faith said. No reply. "Merrill!" She spoke into her ear in a loud voice.

Merrill gave a little jump. "Oh, Hawke! Sorry! Are we leaving?" Faith nodded and Merrill stood up quickly and then followed everyone out of the tavern.

It wasn't much better outside. Several couples were taking advantage of the moonless night and were in dark alleys or corners, kissing. Moans and gasps filled the air. It was like one huge, endless brothel. Faith huffed and her pace quickened.

They soon reached the ship, but Isabela announced she had to get the crew and disappeared again. Faith sighed, shaking her head. The whole group assembled on deck, looking down at the wooden floor.

"Well, that was an interesting experience," Varric said, rubbing the back of his neck.

...

They managed to set sail the following morning, after having purchased their supplies and stocked the hold. Nobody spoke about Hercinia, but Faith could see that they were anxious to get away. All except for Isabela, who remained at the wheel, looking back wistfully at the docks as she steered the ship out into the open sea.

The storm hit three days later, howling at the ship with fury, the waves tossing it around like a wooden toy to be crushed. Isabela and her crew worked furiously against the storm, manning the sails and pushing the ship forward inch by inch. Water washed over the deck, over and over, and Faith and her companions struggled, their hands gripping at the rails as they worked to help the crew and Isabela. It lasted all night, though truthfully they did not know morning had come as it was so dark.

Then, above the deafening noise of the storm, they heard a crash that brought the ship to a halt. The movement threw them into the ocean and they swam for their dear lives. The shore was not far, but they did not know this. They also did not know they were actually right next to the docks of the city of Wycome, the city that Faith had so carefully avoided.

Fortunately, Faith and her companions survived the ordeal. Sadly, Isabela's crew did not. When the storm abated, they looked around the sandy beach at the debris and grimaced. Anders ran around healing wounds and counting heads, sighing with relief to discover that all of them were alive.

Isabela's ship was leaning on its right against some rocks that jutted upwards, and from where they were standing they could see part of a great black hole in it. It had not sunk completely but was destroyed. Two bodies of the unfortunate members of the crew who had not survived were found on the beach as well and Isabela stood quietly beside them for a few minutes, her dry eyes burning with unshed tears.

"Balls," she muttered, then walked away.

They retrieved most of their things from the debris on the shore, but some of it was lost forever. Somberly, they spotted the docks not far away, mostly covered in debris as well.

"We'll buy another ship, Isabela. I promise you," Faith whispered to her. She still had two coin purses with her, tied securely to her body, and each contained a large number of gold sovereigns.

Isabela nodded and continued to look at the docks. People could be seen scurrying about, trying to clean up the mess the storm had caused.

Anders was looking annoyed and Faith cast a puzzled look in his direction. She then noticed he was wearing the leather armor and walked up to him.

"My robes. They're gone. When the storm struck last night, I dressed in these, because they were what I had on before. I didn't grab my pack," he said through clenched teeth. "But I did find my staff, at least." He strapped Illumination on his back, but Faith shook her head. His eyes narrowed.

"You'll have to hide it around here, until we buy a new ship, or get somewhere to stay," Faith whispered. "I'll tell Merrill and Rilka to do the same, if they still have their staves."

He sighed, then nodded after a few minutes. They turned, scanning the beach they were on and spotted some caves in the cliffs that towered over the sandy shore. Faith turned to Isabela, while Merrill moaned that her staff was gone, and Rilka looked sadly on - Fenris at her side. Varric just hugged Bianca, muttering something under his breath. Orana stood quietly on the beach, her large eyes blinking in fear.

"Where are we, Isabela?"

Isabela shook her head in dismay, her gaze fixed on the docks in the distance. "Oh, Hawke. You aren't going to like this. We're in Wycome."

...


	51. Not Exactly A CityState

_**Thank you KnightOfHolyLight, LadyDarksbane, Amondra, darkkchylde, xx TwilightPrincess xx and Freakitten for your reviews! :D I also want to thank everyone who put this fic on their favorites list! **_

_**Bioware owns everything! :D **_

Chapter 51 - Not Exactly a City-State

Wycome was large, but totally different from Kirkwall in many aspects. The group made their way around the docks, and found themselves facing a branch of the river on one side, with a stone bridge that led to one of the entrances to the city proper. There was another river branch on the western side of the docks as well, for Wycome was almost in the center of the delta of the Minanter River. This meant that most of the houses surrounding the city were farmhouses, or stately manors built around fertile land. In short, the people in the city lived from what the lands produced.

The city itself was not ruled by a Viscount, but by a Teyrn. As most of the people were landowners, food wasn't scarce in Wycome and it was cheaper by default. The city reminded Faith of the city of Denerim, though there were cobbled streets and alleys, instead of the dirt and mud found in the capital of Ferelden. The residents of Wycome were mostly dark-skinned. Isabela remarked that it was possibly due to the proximity of Antiva; but the fact that the city had a warm climate and plenty of sunshine, even in winter, was probably another reason for this as well.

There was also a Chantry and a small circle in Wycome as most of the mages were readily sent off to the larger circle tower in Ostwick. Consequently, there were far more templars than the handful of mages that resided in the circle, something that Faith picked up even before they knew the reason why. More templars than mages was dangerous: It meant that the templars had too much time on their hands.

Before they had ventured into the Docks, the group had dressed in whatever seemed normal enough for a city. Suitable disguises were kind of difficult to get when most of their things had been lost in the shipwreck, but they managed to salvage a couple of common dresses for Merrill and Rilka. Faith had been wearing her leather jerkin during the storm - her Champion armor now lay in the bottom of the ocean somewhere.

Merrill changed into the other dress they had found, and anyone who laid eyes on her could mistake her for an elven servant. Hawke even asked her to walk beside Orana. Varric was probably the one who could call the most attention to himself, though truth be told, there were also a great number of dwarves in the center of the city, but not as much as in Kirkwall. Fenris could pass as a bodyguard. Not only did he look the part, it was what he had been before when he was a slave living in Tevinter. Anders looked like any hired sword beside Faith - problem being, he did not have a sword, so Faith gave him a pair of daggers retrieved from the debris also. Anders muttered his complaints under his breath and strapped them on his back, a look of dismay on his face until Faith whispered something in his ear. From that moment on, he kept a wooden smile on his face.

The people in the docks were used to people coming in on ships. On this particular day, however, they were busy cleaning up the debris caused by the storm and many were considering on hiring a boat to row to where the recent shipwreck was. When Faith heard this, she immediately grew concerned. Without waiting to discuss it with her companions, she managed to get to a place where boats were rented by the hour and paid for a boat to row to the place where Isabela's ship was. If there was anything to salvage there, she wanted to make sure that she got to it first.

Thus, right after they had arrived at the docks, they found themselves on the ocean again. The group started to protest as soon as they found themselves rowing towards the wreck.

"_Why_ are we doing this again?" Anders sighed.

"If we don't get our hands on our things first, we risk the chance of people finding out who we really are," Faith replied, a somber look on her face.

"I think it's just that you've fallen in love with the ocean. You have Isabela Fever!" Varric exclaimed. Isabela scowled at Varric at these words but said nothing.

The rowboat was large enough to seat them all, and since Anders, Varric, Fenris, Isabela, Rilka and Faith were all rowing, they arrived at the wreck very soon.

"I can dive and take a look around," Isabela sang out as they gazed into the black hole at the side of the ship.

"I can too, but it's dark," Anders murmured, fear in his eyes for a few moments.

"What's with your fear of darkness, Blondie?" Varric questioned Anders. Anders felt himself stiffen and his lips formed a thin line.

"Not now, Varric," Faith spoke up, understanding Anders's reluctance to share the answer to that question with the rest. "He's had a bad experience in the past. Drop it."

Varric mumbled a quick apology and Isabela took off her necklace and earrings, handing them over to Hawke.

"I won't be long," she said cheerfully. She then stood on the boat and dove into the water.

They stared into the water, catching glimpses of Isabela here and there as she swam around. After a few minutes, she resurfaced, taking a deep breath of air. "There's a dry spot in the hold, but the rest of the ship is underwater. I'm going in. I'll probably be some time in there."

"Be careful," Faith called out. Isabela waved and after taking a deep breath dove in again.

She was gone for a short while. When she resurfaced, Faith extended a hand. She had two staves in her right hand, and as soon as Faith took them, Merrill and Rilka clapped their hands.

"We're going to have to hide these in the same place Anders hid his staff," Faith said resolutely. Merrill and Rilka's faces fell, but they nodded sadly to this.

"I retrieved another coin purse from a chest in what's left of your room, Hawke. Here," Isabela handed her the pouch.

"Outstanding. That would be the last of the coin I brought with me," Faith said happily.

"You already have two coin purses with you," Anders mused. "How much money do you have exactly, love?"

"Counting this coin purse? About six hundred gold," Faith replied proudly.

Everyone's mouths fell open. "What?" Faith said. "I saved a lot and we...um..._acquired_ a lot of money when we were in Count Prosper's Chateau. Or have you forgotten we stole nearly everything from the vault?"

"We've enough coin to buy a house in Antiva and Rivain, then," Anders murmured, his eyes wide with shock.

"And one in Tevinter and Ferelden if you'd like," Faith grinned. "We'd still have a lot of left over money too. But I intend to make more. There must be lots of jobs here in Wycome."

Anders rolled his eyes. Fenris shrugged and helped Isabela onto the boat. "Anything else worth salvaging?"

"No, the rest is just lots of papers and some journals. Useless now that they are wet, I imagine."

"I can dry them using magic. You should retrieve them if you can, Isabela," Anders commented.

"Anders is right. I don't want them falling into anyone else's hands. Could you get them?"Faith chimed in.

Isabela rolled her eyes. "All right! All right!" She dove into the water, taking a little longer to reappear this time around. When she finally did, she handed Faith two leather-bound journals stuffed with parchments.

"Ah," Anders said happily. "This one is mine. This one's yours, love." He handed Faith the other one. His fingers wiggled and the journals and papers inside were instantly dried.

"Happy now?" Isabela snapped.

"Yes, of course. Though...you didn't happen to see my robes down there, did you?" Anders asked wistfully.

"No! I didn't!" Isabela exclaimed, her eyes flashing.

"All right, all right! No need to get so worked up about it!" Anders replied, holding up his hands defensively.

They helped Isabela back on the boat and rowed back to the docks.

"Let's look for a place to eat and stay the night," Faith said, gazing around.

...

The only decent inn in the docks had a funny name. At least that's what Isabela said. Standing outside 'The Lying Shrew' they all had to agree.

"I'm guessing we're going to get a glimpse of the worse of the city around here. The docks isn't a place for nobles to mingle in," Rilka said thoughtfully.

"All the better. I've seen no templars around. I imagine they can be found in the better parts of the city," Faith commented.

The inn looked a bit like the Hanged Man, with more tattered curtains. Faith made her way to the counter, where a dark-haired, middle-aged woman dressed in a simple skirt and white tunic stood. She eyed them curiously, a scowl on her face.

"You folks come in cause of the storm?" The woman asked, her cold brown eyes regarding them suspiciously.

"Yes. We were shipwrecked last night. We'd like rooms and good food and drink," Faith replied sweetly, clanking a couple of gold sovereigns on the counter top.

The woman's expression changed so fast, Faith blinked as she took a step back. She now had a grin on her face and her eyes twinkled warmly at them.

"Aye. I got rooms. And the food is freshly cooked and good. Me and my sister are the best cooks around here," she puffed her chest out a little, proudly breathing in. All the men in the group fixed their eyes on her voluminous breasts straining against her tunic and Faith elbowed Anders angrily before she continued speaking.

"Ow!" Anders complained, but was totally ignored by everyone except for Fenris who looked like he was about to burst out laughing.

"We'd like big rooms. Double if possible. And if you have bathtubs in them, all the better," Faith continued to speak in a sweet voice, a smile gracing her face. "We're very hungry, so we'd like a meal after we bathe."

"Certainly, Messere. Though only three of the rooms have baths in them," the woman continued smiling.

"That's fine. We'll manage," Faith nodded.

"I'll show you to your rooms. Come with me," the woman said, walking towards a wooden ladder in the back.

...

They spent some time in Wycome, taking a couple of mercenary jobs to pay for their rooms and food. Anders had never been to the center of the city, but Justice had become more and more insistent on helping the mages there. When Anders had assured him that there were only around five or six mages in the city, he quieted down, giving Anders temporary relief from the nagging urge to break into the circle and release the mages.

Faith saw his inner struggles and watched him closely, her lips in a thin line. She had been teaching him how to use the daggers, something he found extremely interesting. As it turned out, the innkeeper had grown to like them all which meant that they were given a space to practice behind the inn. The space there was like a small courtyard that was walled off from the rest of the docks and was private enough to keep them hidden from prying eyes.

They tried to buy another ship, but the one that was being built at the moment would take too long to complete. Faith feared that the longer they stayed in Wycome, the greater chance there was of them being discovered. What made matters worse was that Anders had used healing magic during their latest mercenary job. This, they knew, marked the beginning of the end of their time in Wycome.

"I think we'll just have to secure passage on a ship heading for Llomerryn. Once we arrive there, we can see if we can buy a ship later," Faith said quietly to her companions as they ate their evening meal in Faith and Anders's room.

"I still don't understand why he didn't control himself! It was a flesh wound, and he could have done the healing when we were back here, safe from prying eyes!" Fenris growled, his eyes glaring at Anders.

"Yes, I'm sure you would have appreciated all the loss of blood until we made it back here," Anders snapped. "It was _not _a flesh wound! But what do I know? I'm only a healer, with no experience in wounds, right?"

Fenris scowled at Anders, and Faith held up her hand. "I'd like you both to drop it!"

Both of them immediately fell silent, but continued to glare at each other.

"So, are we leaving soon?" Varric asked, keeping his eyes on Faith and ignoring Fenris and Anders.

"I'd like to leave soon, yes. I'll see to securing passage aboard a ship tomorrow morning. Isabela, would you come with me? You know your way around ships, and can tell if they are sturdy enough and other important things about ships, right?"

Isabela chuckled. "Oh, I'll get us passage on board the best ship in these waters, Kitten. Make no mistake."

"Good, then that's settled. Anyone want anything else? I'm getting another bottle of wine and second helpings of food for myself and Anders."

Fenris asked for more food, as did Varric, so Faith stood up and opened the door to go downstairs and speak to the innkeeper.

Anders remained seated, his eyes gazing at the floor, his thoughts a million miles away.

"I could have asked the innkeeper for the food and wine," Orana spoke up in a sad voice.

"Don't worry about it, Orana. She knows. She just needs to - do something," Merrill replied, patting her hand.

Orana gave Merrill a tremulous smile and sighed.

Faith reappeared, sitting on the chair next to Anders. "Food and wine will be here shortly."

"Llomerryn is where the Raiders operate," Fenris scowled.

"I know that, Fenris," Faith replied calmly, drinking the last of her wine.

"We would be living in a land where crime is abundant. Where slavery is common," he sneered. "I wonder if you hit your head sometime in Kirkwall before we left, Hawke?"

"Shut it, Broody. Hawke knows what she's doing," Anders snapped at him.

Fenris's eyes narrowed. "We wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you!"

Rilka's hand shot out, as she grasped Fenris's arm, while Faith mirrored her movement at the opposite side of the table. Both men glared at each other, but did not speak again.

The innkeeper and her sister appeared at the door, carrying another bottle of wine and second helpings of food. She smiled affectionately at Faith as she handed out steaming plates of roasted chicken and vegetables and freshly baked bread.

Faith thanked her and they left, closing the door behind them.

"Listen, you two," Faith began, and the rest could plainly see she was fighting to control her temper. "This is not going to fix anything. If you two continue to bicker, then we'll be forced to separate. Is this what you both want?"

"I don't want to go anywhere else! I want to be with all of you! Besides, there is safety in numbers," Rilka cried out, turning a disapproving glance on Fenris.

"I'll stop if he does," Anders said quietly, keeping his eyes on the floor.

Fenris scowled but agreed to try to control himself better and Varric laughed out loud at this.

"Sorry, but it's funny. I don't think you two will ever stop bickering at each other. It makes this trip interesting, if anything else," he smiled widely.

They heard some yelling in the inn downstairs, and Faith opened the door a crack. She couldn't quite catch the voices, but she caught the word 'apostate' and froze. Turning to the rest of her companions she motioned at them to be completely silent, then slid out of the door, vanishing from sight.

Everyone sat there in absolute silence until she returned.

"Looks like we're going to have to make a run for it. To the caves we discovered when we were shipwrecked. There are two templars downstairs who are going to search the entire inn for fugitive apostates. Apparently, two mages from the circle here have escaped."

"Shit," Anders hissed.

"The templars will pick us out as mages if they find us, Cousin. They can sense magic," Rilka said nervously.

"The three of you will need to get out through the window and jump to the tree next to it, then make your way to the caves. We'll follow later. Go!"

Anders only paused to give Faith a quick kiss, then hurried out the window, with Merrill and Rilka close behind him. A few moments later, there was a loud knock on the door.

"Templar business! Open up!" A loud, voice called out.

Faith waited to see if Anders, Rilka and Merrill were gone. She peered out into the darkness, but could see nothing. A few moments later, she saw three figures hurrying away, towards the direction of the beach.

"I said, open up! Now!" The voice now sounded annoyed.

She turned round, walked calmly to the door, and opened it.

"Yes? We're kind of in the middle of dinner, here," she said angrily.

"Step away from the door, Serah. Two mages have escaped the circle. We were given instructions to search the docks."

"Mages? There are no mages here, Ser Templar," Faith giggled as she swung the door open.

The two templars moved around, looking everywhere, but they found nothing. The one that had spoken turned to Faith. "I am sorry to have interrupted your meal, Serah."

"What do they look like?" Faith asked in a matter-of-fact voice. "Maybe we can be on the lookout for them and capture them for you?"

The templar stiffened. "This is a templar matter. I assure you that the order is perfectly capable of taking care of this without any outside help."

"If you say so," Faith shrugged. The templar turned heel and barked at the other templar to follow him. They left the room and Faith closed the door behind them.

"We'll have to wait for them to leave the inn. Unless you all want to escape through the window?"

"I don't fancy heights," Varric replied. "Let's just wait for a few minutes."

"We cannot wait! What if they capture them?" Fenris said, standing up and clenching his fists. "We must move quickly."

"Let's collect our things, then leave," Faith agreed.

"I'll go on ahead, I have my things right here with me. Always prepared," Isabela flashed Faith a smile.

"See if you can secure passage aboard a ship at the docks, Isabela. Then meet us in the cave," Faith said handing her some coin. Then, she quickly started gathering her things and putting them in her pack. "The sooner we leave Wycome, the better."

...


	52. On The Run

_**Thank you so much KnightOfHolyLight, sadiesadist and Darkkchylde for your wonderful reviews! They really made my day! :D **_

_**Two chapters this time! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything...etc., etc., etc...**_

Chapter 52 - On The Run

When they arrived at the cave, they carefully made their way inside, the blue glow of the glowworms making it possible for them to see in the half-light.

"Anders!" Faith whispered. She heard a sigh of relief and slow steps approaching them. Anders, Rilka and Merrill came into view. Faith rushed to Anders, while Fenris hurried over to where Rilka was standing.

"Thank the Maker it's you," Anders murmured, brushing his lips over the crown of her hair briefly.

"I brought you your pack," Faith whispered, handing it over to Anders. "Here's yours too, Merrill. We must leave as soon as Isabela arrives. I gave her some coin and told her to secure passage aboard a ship bound for Llomerryn."

Fenris had his arms wrapped tightly around Rilka, and he nuzzled the side of her neck. "I have your pack," he whispered hoarsely. "I took the liberty of packing all your things."

Isabela suddenly materialized before them and they all nearly jumped out of their skins. "I got us a way out, Hawke," she said, ignoring their surprise. "But the ship leaves port early tomorrow morning. It was expensive and hard to get. It's First Day tomorrow and there are lots of people aboard. There's to be a party onboard to celebrate, I was told."

"A party? For what?" Merrill asked, clueless as ever.

"A new year, Daisy. People celebrate to welcome a good year," Varric replied. "Don't you remember the parties in Kirkwall?"

"And what if the year is bad? How can they know it's good?"

Varric shook his head, grinning, while Anders rolled his eyes.

"We'll talk about this later, Kitten," Isabela smiled at Merrill. She then turned back to Faith. "The point here is that we'll have to spend the night in the cave. It's really cold, so we'll have to build a fire. I should imagine since we're far from the entrance nobody will see the fire from outside."

"Let's head further in," Faith suggested. "I don't want to take any chances. Orana, stay close."

They walked for a while, and the cave tunnel took a turn to the right, opening up into a large cavern.

"Uh, oh," Faith said as she eyed the spider webs along the walls.

"Great. I've missed shooting spells from my staff," Anders grimaced.

Faith whisked out her daggers; the rest already had their weapons drawn. They advanced slowly in the half-light. Suddenly a deafening hiss was heard and not one but two monstrous spiders dropped from the ceiling. One of them rammed into Faith, and she staggered; Anders caught her just in time and fired a winter's grasp spell directly at it. The other one made a beeline for Merrill and Orana who had been bringing up the rear. Orana took a step back against the cave wall, her eyes wide open with terror.

Rilka unleashed a firestorm spell that started to burn the creatures, while Varric delivered bolt after bolt into the creatures. Fenris gave his war cry, rallying his companions as he cleaved his way through. Merrill conjured up a tempest spell, followed by an earthquake spell in rapid succession. The spiders wobbled about, trying to get a proper footing.

At that moment the two templars who had been looking for the fugitive mages ran into the cavern.

"Halt, apostates!" The one in charge yelled, paying no heed to the spiders. His companion, however, noticed them.

"Dolleney! The spiders!" He screamed, drawing his sword.

Dolleney paid no heed and rushed forward, bashing his shield into Rilka, who fell to the ground in a heap.

Fenris gave a cry of rage and charged, rushing angrily into the templar, while Faith performed a vendetta movement at the huge spider in front of her. Anders cast a spell of paralysis on the two templars, and turned around quickly to aid his wife.

Isabela had managed to cut two of the second spider's hairy legs, and the spider spit venom at her, missing her now that it was injured. She laughed and managed to slice at its abdomen, then quickly backstabbed it. The spider screamed and curled up and died. Isabela jumped to where Faith was fighting the first one, lending her aid just in time, for Faith was tiring.

The spider screamed and scurried to the right, where the two templars stood paralyzed. It opened its maw, all fangs, and bit through the templar in charge, nearly severing his head in the process, then quickly spun around and bit the second templar. It was lashing out furiously at anything near it. Anders cast a lightning bolt at it and it jerked around, the smell of burnt ichor reaching the group. Faith got underneath it, ignoring Anders's screaming at her to stop and sliced its underbelly open, then quickly jumped out of the way as the spider collapsed beside her.

She was covered in grime, blood and ichor, but she was safe. Anders gave a sigh of relief then ran to her side. "What the fuck was that? I want no heroic acts in the future from you, do you hear me?" He scolded.

Faith smiled up at him fluttering her eyelashes and Anders groaned, shaking his head.

"Anders, come here. Check on Rilka, please!" Fenris shouted. Anders trotted over to an unconscious Rilka, lying on the ground, her head pillowed in Fenris's lap.

After checking Rilka for any damage, Anders cast a healing spell over her. She soon opened her eyes, smiling up at Fenris, who smiled back, relief flooding his face.

The group turned to look at the templars. "I guess it serves them right," Anders spat out. "I felt the smite coming and had to stop it. I'm glad the spiders got him."

"I'll admit it was stupid to attack us while under attack from these creatures," Fenris said, his hand caressing Rilka's face tenderly.

"Fools. Did they think they would finish the spiders alone, without any magic to aid them?" Faith said, her lips curled up in a sneer.

"I brought some wine! Who wants a drink?" Isabela called out gaily.

...

They boarded the ship, having cleaned up and eaten some berries and drunk water from the underground spring in the cave. Even though nobody paid attention to them, they only gave a sigh of relief when they were safely on their way to Llomerryn.

The ship was much larger than Isabela's ship. They stood around on the deck, until it was time for them to eat.

The whole journey was uneventful and boring. The only good part was the celebratory party held aboard the ship for First Day.

"Dragon Age 38, now. How time flies," Faith murmured, a wistful look on her face. "I wonder if this year will be any better."

They were all gathered together in Faith and Anders's room, which was spacious and comfortable.

"With a war possibly starting all over Thedas? What would give you that idea, Hawke?" Varric chuckled.

"At least we'll be able to do some good by helping the mages!" Anders exclaimed with fervor. "I can't wait to fight in the front lines!"

Isabela rolled her eyes.

"Blondie, you should really tell your friend this isn't the time nor the place. What if someone walks past the door and hears you?" Varric scowled.

Anders scowled back at Varric, a hint of blue in his eyes.

"I can't go on like this!" Faith exclaimed. "If you cannot understand what we are doing, then maybe it's better if we go our separate ways!"

Anders's jaw dropped. "What?" He asked dumbly, the blue vanishing at once.

"I'm trying to keep you and everyone here alive, so we can fight when the right moment comes. But you seem to be intent on getting caught! I can't take it any longer! I'm done with this!" Faith cried.

"Love, I -"

But Faith interrupted him, tears of anger now streaming down her cheeks. "I know you would rather throw yourself at the templars right now and risk death or tranquility! You won't listen to reason!"

"Sweetheart, please -" Anders took a step, holding out his arms.

"Don't you dare sweet-talk me! I'm tired of it all!" And she rushed out of the room, leaving everyone standing there.

"And the stick-in-the-mud wins again," Isabela said quietly.

...

People were hugging each other on deck, celebrating the start of the new year. Faith wandered all the way to the rail, keeping away from the noisy, cheerful people, and gazed into the dark waters below. It was cold, she had not even grabbed something warm to wear. She shivered, and stiffened when she heard the footsteps behind her.

"Love," Anders said quietly. "I'm sorry. I -"

"Please don't lie to me. I know what you...what _Justice_ wants," she said through clenched teeth.

"As far as I know, you want to help the mages too," he replied in a soft voice.

She sighed as she crossed her arms, not daring to turn and look at him.

"You have to believe me. I'm trying to control him. Sometimes it's just too hard. I'd hoped after the whole incident at Kirkwall that he would take his time to show up again. I'm sorry I was wrong." His arms encircled her, and she tried to shy away, but he held her fast.

"I'll try harder at keeping him at bay. I don't want us to separate, ever. I wouldn't be able to go on living without you," Anders added in a whisper.

Faith shut her eyes painfully. She had to keep it together, at least until they reached Llomerryn.

"I can't take it any longer, Anders. I don't want us to fight right now. It's important for us to remain hidden, and discover what is happening before we strike. It's called strategic planning. Justice was once a warrior. Surely he can understand that?"

"I don't know if he remembers anymore, love," Anders said sadly. "He isn't the Justice I once knew..."

"Well, he's going to have to, because I sure won't stand to see him interfere. I won't allow it," she replied, clenching her fists.

He said nothing to this, but caressed her, his heart heavy.

"I love you," Faith said. "But I don't want to see you lose yourself. I won't accept that. Ever."

She turned around, finally meeting his eyes. "And if it means dying in the process, so be it. But I won't surrender to Justice, nor let him control you."

He took her in his arms, his lips descending on hers and she kissed him back. When they came up for air, he smiled sadly and pulled her closer, embracing her tenderly. Justice stirred inside him at that very moment.

"I'll die without her for sure."

_Would you kill yourself?_

"Yes."

...

It took them nearly a month to reach Llomerryn. Rilka was ill the entire journey. When Faith realized that she was in the hold more often than not, she went looking for her, dragging Anders along.

"Cousin," she said in a soft voice. Rilka was lying on the bed with the covers over her, shivering slightly. Anders immediately focused on the furnace in the room and lit the coals. Warmth soon spread out and Rilka gave him a grateful smile. Fenris was sitting on a chair next to the bed, brooding.

"I didn't want to worry you, Cousin. I don't know what's wrong with me. I think it's a cold of some kind."

"What are you feeling? Describe all your aches and pain to me," Anders said kindly as he sat on the bed next to her.

"I can't keep any food down. Most of the food is disgusting to me. I think that's why I've caught this cold," she started to cough up some phlegm and turned her head, leaning over the bed while her hands clutched the mattress. Fenris quickly brought up a tin bowl and she vomited into it.

Anders frowned, he got up and quickly brought some white cloth bandages that were lying on the only table in the room. "Do you have any water?" He asked Rilka.

"There's water in a barrel there."

"A kettle or pot of any kind? I'll have to boil it first, to make sure it's safe for drinking," Anders said.

He got to work quietly, while Faith dampened one of the bandages and washed Rilka's face gently. When Anders was done with the water, he cooled it off a little using an ice spell, then handed Rilka a glass, asking her to take a sip or two.

"I'm going to perform a scan on you now, Rilka. Lie still, please," he smiled kindly as Rilka nodded, automatically grabbing Fenris's hand.

For the briefest of moments, Anders and Fenris's eyes met. Fenris had a desperate look on his face. He was clearly silently begging Anders to cure Rilka. Anders smiled kindly at Fenris, barely giving a nod, but Fenris understood and relaxed a bit more.

"Let's see what's wrong here," Anders said in a soft voice as he held his palms down and focused.

A blue-white glow emanated from his hands as he stretched them over Rilka's body, pausing over her stomach. His brow furrowed for a moment, then he smiled. His hands went over her body again, just to make sure.

"Will you be able to cure her?" Fenris asked anxiously.

"Um, no," Anders shook his head.

"What do you mean 'no'? I thought you were a healer!" Fenris's voice got louder.

"I can't cure a person if there is nothing to cure, Fenris," Anders replied, his smile turning into a grin.

"But even I can see she is ill! I don't understand," Fenris replied, his eyes full of concern.

"She isn't ill. It's a reaction. Her body is reacting. It's perfectly normal," Anders chuckled.

"For the Maker's sake, spit it out already!" Faith said impatiently.

"Rilka, you're with child," Anders said cheerfully. "Congratulations!"

Fenris looked at Rilka, his eyes full of awe, his mouth slightly parted. Rilka was looking at him pretty much the same.

"Oh! Fenris! Did you hear that? We're going to have a child!" She giggled and held her arms up.

And Fenris's smile and radiant happiness that shone on his face said it all as he wordlessly gathered her into his arms and held her close.

...

_**A.N. Yep...decided to make Fenris a father! I thought it would make him happy, poor guy. He never is happy in the game...time to change that! (Well, not a complete a total change, but there you have it...)** _


	53. Llomerryn

Chapter 53 - Llomerryn

The great island of Llomerryn was a jewel in the vast Amaranthine Ocean. Rich vegetation sprang up everywhere, even around the Docks. The bedraggled group made their way around, looking very much exhausted, but sharply taking in all the details.

"I never thought I'd come back," Isabela mused under her breath. Faith heard the comment, and smiled to herself.

"Rivaini, where do we go to get cleaned up and proper rest?" Varric asked wearily.

"I'm just grateful we're not on a rocking ship anymore," Faith commented, getting a glare from Isabela in the process.

"And I'm sorry we're on dry land," Isabela retorted. Turning, she spoke to Varric next, "We'll see. There used to be a pretty good inn right here in the docks. If not, I guess we'll have to head into the city."

"There's a Dalish camp in the outskirts of the city, isn't there?" Merrill asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, Kitten. Would you like to visit, once we've settled in?" Isabela asked kindly.

"Oh, no. No, no, no. I think I'll pass," Merrill bit her lower lip.

"I'd like to know if there are any houses for sale as soon as possible." Faith's cleared voice interrupted the conversation.

All of them stopped in their tracks upon her announcement.

"You want to buy a house? Here?" Anders asked, his eyes wide as he regarded her.

"Of course! Rilka is with child. We'll need a comfortable, safe place to live in now. Even if we do leave to -" she lowered her voice, " - join the fight later, we need a home."

Anders said nothing to this, keeping his eyes down on the ground, his brow furrowed, but Faith knew that Justice probably disapproved. She didn't care.

Rilka's cheeks were flushed as she turned to look at her cousin. Before she had a chance to open her mouth to protest, Fenris spoke.

"I know you want to keep us safe. Just how safe would we be in a place where the Raiders walk around comfortably like normal citizens?"

"True. But that also means no real lawful people, like...oh, I don't know..._templars_?" Faith retorted, effectively shutting Fenris up. "We just need to find a way to avoid the Raiders completely."

"Easier said than done," Anders snorted.

"Doesn't mean we shouldn't try," Faith snapped back.

Anders shook his head slightly, but chose not to reply, if only to stop the argument before it began.

"Wise of you to shut up, Blondie," Varric whispered and Anders grinned at the dwarf. "You're getting better at this 'husband' business."

They stopped walking, their eyes fixed on a sign that said 'Better Than Ever!' in bright red. Underneath another sign said, 'Trust us! You won't find a better inn!' Both signs were above an elaborately-carved wooden door of a building that looked like an enormous mansion from the outside.

"I find myself dubious of anything or anyone that uses the word 'trust' in their vocabulary," Faith commented.

"Ah! This is the inn right here! Glad to see it hasn't shut down!" Isabela exclaimed. She promptly entered the place, leaving the rest behind.

"Huh," Anders said, shaking his head.

"I guess we'll just have to follow her in, right?" Faith said, moving towards the door and opening it.

"Since when has following Isabela ever been sensible?" Fenris sighed as he, too, headed to the door.

...

After they had settled in, they all met downstairs to have a meal and then walk around the city. People didn't even throw a second glance in their direction, so they wandered around, curiously looking at all the sights. Various seers beckoned at them for a magical solution to their problems, and Faith gave a nervous giggle as they passed one that promised eternal youth.

"Most of them are charlatans. The ones that are good usually live outside the city, and never want coin in exchange for the services they offer," Isabela said, her eyes clouding over momentarily.

"You're remembering your mother, aren't you?" Faith whispered, squeezing the pirate's hand.

"It doesn't matter. What's past is past. No need to bring it up," Isabela replied, moving away from Faith.

"Skewed broiled nug," Rilka murmured. "I don't know why, but my mouth is suddenly watering."

"Let's have some," Faith smiled, ignoring the fact that they had all just had some stew.

"Pretty lady," a gnarled, old woman said, grasping Faith's hand suddenly.

Faith lowered her eyes to look at the woman, sitting on the cobblestoned ground, who started to pet her hand. Vainly she tried to extract her hand from the old woman's grasp, but she could not. The old woman was stronger than she looked and continued to hold Faith's hand in a viselike grip.

"Tell pretty lady's fortune," the old woman blabbered on. "For a bit of food."

"All right," Faith said, allowing the old lady to turn her palm upwards. The old woman peered into her hand. "Pretty lady travels far, far to save the man she loves. Yes. Magic will save magic! Pretty lady faces death and destruction!" The old woman gasped, abruptly letting go of Faith's hand. Faith's mouth parted open in surprise for a few moments, but she quickly recovered.

"Death and destruction? That's something I'd never face, right everyone?" She turned to the rest, a wide smile on her face.

Anders was frowning. He looked down at the old lady, then up at Faith, his eyes narrowing slightly, a hint of blue under the surface.

"Here, have a coin," Faith offered the old lady nervously.

"No. No coin. Nothing will I ask for. Leave, please!" The old lady screeched, and people curiously turned their heads to stare at them.

Faith dropped the silver she was holding in front of the old woman. The coin made a musical clinking noise as it hit the cobblestoned ground, bouncing around a few times before it rolled to a stop right in front of the old crone, who did not make a move to take it. Faith turned and walked away. The rest quickly caught up with her.

"What was _that_ all about?" Anders asked, the blue glow in his eyes gone.

"_That_ was one of the charlatans," Isabela interrupted, glancing at Hawke for a few minutes. "You can spot them a mile away. She asked for food, and was probably going to ask for coin afterwards."

Faith glanced up at Anders, but his face was blank and devoid of expression. He was staring at Isabela, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips.

"Yes, well, you said you wanted skewed nug pieces?" Faith turned to Rilka, avoiding Anders's gaze.

"I'll have some, yes," Rilka licked her lips.

Much later, after the skewed nug and various other unimportant, small purchases, they walked away towards the general direction of the town square. Only then did Faith chance a look back at the old lady.

She was still staring at her.

...

They walked on for a while, Faith in the lead, with Anders falling in step with her from time to time. Varric was bringing up the rear, next to Orana. Rilka and Fenris were behind Faith and Anders, chatting about possible names for the child.

Soon they were outside the city, and left the farmhouses dotting the landscape behind. Faith drank in the beauty of the lush vegetation and wild flowers surrounding them, a genuine smile on her lips.

"I really didn't like Kirkwall much. I guess I grew accustomed to living in a town. Lothering was so pretty! We had a farmhouse. Father and Carver would work tilling our barley fields," Faith said as her gaze took in the raw beauty around her.

"You were very happy there, weren't you?" Anders smiled.

"Yes. It was a simple life. I guess I like simple things. Damn templars and the darkspawn had to go and ruin it all!" She clenched her fists momentarily, her eyes darkening.

They had stopped in a clearing and were considering returning to the city, when Merrill gave a cry. Everyone turned to look at her. She was looking straight ahead, and trembled slightly.

"What is it, Merrill?" Faith frowned, as she stepped close to her.

"We must return, lethallan. We -"

"Come no further, traitor, unless you want us to kill you for your crime!" A voice rang out from the brush.

Faith whirled around and came face to face with a Dalish hunter - bow and arrow aimed directly at Merrill.

"Ah. Looks like we found the Dalish." Anders deadpanned.

...

They found themselves surrounded by Dalish hunters, but their arrows were trained on one person only: Merrill.

Merrill trembled slightly, but did not move. Faith turned to the hunter that had yelled out the warning. The look on the elf's face was hostile and his eyes dangerous.

"We mean you no harm," Faith began, her tone soft.

"I do not fear the shem. We live peacefully near their city. They let us be. But _you_," he gestured towards Merrill, "I know who _you_ are. We will not allow you to set foot in our camp!"

"How do you know Merrill?" Faith shot back immediately, causing the elf to falter slightly, the hands holding the bow trembling slightly. He turned to look at Faith, his eyes narrowing.

"I don't have to answer your questions, shemlen. All I can say is that we know of this one. We will not let our keeper come to harm. Begone!"

"But -" Faith insisted, but was interrupted by Merrill.

"Please, Hawke. We must leave. Please let's just go!" Merrill begged, close to tears.

"All right. We're going now, just don't shoot us," Faith held up her hands defensively, palms up, towards the elves.

The leader of the group nodded curtly, but did not lower his bow. The rest of the elves were still pointing their arrows at them also. The group had no other option but to turn back and walk away, tense and half-expecting an arrow to come whistling from behind and embed itself in someone's back, but nothing happened.

When the farmhouses came to view once again, they all felt extremely relieved. Faith walked up to Merrill, her brow furrowed.

"Why did the hunter know you? How is that even possible, Merrill?" She demanded.

"I'll tell you later, lethallan. Please, let's just get back to the inn. It's late and we should get to safety."

"We really are something, aren't we? Barely a day in Llomerryn, and already all the Dalish elves want to kill us," Varric shook his head.

...

The raider looked at the group as they headed towards the inn. Satisfied with what he had seen, he rushed off to a warehouse across the square next to the entrance to the docks. A few men stood guarding the door and nodded when he entered.

He walked along dark corridors until he came to a door. Pausing only to knock, he went inside.

"Yes, what is it, Lysander?" A man dressed in raider armor sitting in front of a desk said, looking up briefly at him.

"There is a new group of people who have arrived today. I was trailing them. A woman seems to be their leader. I thought you would want to know about this. They're staying at the 'Better Than Ever.'"

"Interesting. What else can you tell me about this group of people?" The man inquired.

"There are two elves in the group and a dwarf carrying a crossbow. One of the elves looks like a servant. Three of them are mages, they carry staves on their backs. All of them, with the exception of the elf that seems to be their servant, are well-armed."

The man at the desk nodded, grinning suddenly. "Well, then. We will have to meet them soon, won't we?" He stood up, and walked around the desk, crossing his arms, his grin turning wolfish. "After all, it is only proper to graciously welcome all visitors to the city, isn't it?"

"Do you think Soreikos will allow this? He doesn't want us to focus on the people here, he wants us to turn our eyes to the people in foreign lands, for that is where we get our wealth. We don't want trouble here. We want a safe place where we can disappear and hide from the foreigners that hunt us."

"Did I say I wanted your opinion?" The man's steely grey eyes grew colder as they fixed themselves on Lysander. "Soreikos needn't know what we are up to. Unless you wish to inform him and risk instant death? I would be _extremely_ sorry to see you go." A wolfish smile appeared on the man's face - a smile that did not reach his eyes.

Lysander gazed at the man, but shook his head after a few moments.

"Good. Then we are in accord. We'll speak about our course of action tomorrow. I hope you don't mind Petros following you around from now on? Temptation is a curious thing, you know..."

Lysander shook his head again, fear gripping his heart like a vise. All he knew was that the man in front of him had the power to strike him down any time he wished, if he felt threatened, and the only man who could stop him - their true leader, Soreikos - was away on a mission.

And that was enough for him to do everything the man in front of him asked him to.

After all, nobody crossed Delphos. If they did, they didn't live to tell the tale.

...

_**A.N. Yep...we'll be seeing more of the raiders in the next chapters. I mean, our heroes are in Llomerryn, right? **_


	54. Just An Ordinary Day

_**Thank you moosesaregreat, xx Twilight Princess xx, KnightOfHolyLight and MB18932 for your awesome reviews! A thank you to all the people who have put this fic on their favorites as well! :D **_

_**Sorry about the delay, had some health issues...I'm a bit better now! **_

_**BIOWARE OWNS EVERYTHING! **_

Chapter 54 - Just An Ordinary Day

"There is a meeting of all the clans called Arlathvhen, lethallin," Merrill spoke quietly in the well-lit room where Faith and the rest of her companions sat, the remnants of their evening meal littering the only table in the room. "I'm sure that this is how they know of me. What happened with Keeper Marethari is enough for me to be sentenced to death if I run into the Dalish. I know my clan was about to leave Kirkwall before everything that happened with the mages, and I know they were headed towards the place where the Arlathvhen was being held, lethanllin. If I had been with my clan, they would have killed me." Merrill bowed her head, the tears already streaming down her face.

Faith nodded and squeezed Merrill's hand. "I'm sorry, Merrill. I can only imagine how difficult it is for you to talk about this."

"She brought it on herself," Fenris growled, and Rilka quickly turned to him, her eyes wide. "She's a blood mage, and she was the one that placed her keeper and the entire clan in danger."

"That's strange. I haven't seen her use blood magic. Ever," Isabela frowned, looking at Fenris pointedly.

"It doesn't matter if we've seen her or not. She's a blood mage. She'll turn into an abomination and turn on us sooner or later," Fenris retorted, his anger rising steadily to the surface. "She's dangerous."

Merrill's shoulders slumped, and she fixed her eyes on the floor, weeping silently. Anders turned to Fenris, feeling the anger in himself rising. "I don't think you know the whole story, Fenris. I'd advise you to keep quiet, and stop putting your foot in your mouth."

"Says the other abomination in the room," Fenris replied with venom. "It figures that one would come to the other's defense."

"That's enough!" Faith yelled, springing up from the chair. Before she could talk, Anders lashed out at Fenris again.

"I'm sick and tired of you going on and on about magic and mages, as if all of us are evil! Rilka is a mage, and she is fine. Bethany was a mage, and she was fine! When has Merrill hurt you? She's been nothing but nice to you!" Anders practically shouted.

"Last time I checked, you were against her use of blood magic. Now you take her side?" Fenris shouted back, the lyrium markings in his body glowing brightly.

"Merrill hasn't used blood magic in over four years now, Fenris!" Anders finally said.

Fenris's lips parted slightly in surprise. He turned to look at Merrill, who was still crying quietly.

"I - I did not know this," Fenris said, his eyes darting back to Anders. "Still, she _is_ a mage. The need for power among mages causes terrible things. Magic cannot be trusted. Mages cannot be trusted. They are all monsters." He realized what he had just said and promptly shut up, but it was too late. Turning quickly to look at Rilka, he saw the hurt look in her eyes and moved to take her hand, but she stood up and took a step back, trembling slightly.

"Nice one, Elf," Varric muttered under his breath, but still loud enough that everyone heard him. Isabela just sat there and glared at Fenris.

"Rilka, I'm -"Fenris began, a look of pure horror and dismay on his face.

"Don't Fenris, please," Rilka replied, stepping further away from him. "You've been clear enough. I thought..." she sighed, then swallowed, the tears now welling up in her eyes before falling down her cheeks. "Never mind what I thought. I'm sorry to have been born a monster."

And with those words she rushed out of the room.

...

Rilka moved her things to another room in the inn, and refused to speak to Fenris. Faith advised him to stay away for a few days, so that things could cool down.

The following day, Faith set off towards the market place with Rilka, Isabela, Merrill and Varric. Anders stayed behind. He had discovered to his delight that the inn had a library of all things, and was absorbed reading a book entitled 'Differences between Llomerryn Witches and Circle Mages'. He'd hardly looked up when Faith stopped by to say goodbye.

As soon as the group left the inn, Faith turned to them, her eyes regarding them seriously.

"It's better that we are together, without Fenris and Anders around," Faith sighed. "I have two things I want to get started on, and I'm going to let you in on my secret."

"Secret? Aren't we here to look for possible houses that you could buy?" Rilka asked curiously.

"In part. I also want to see if I can find a good Seer. An exemplary one, as a matter of fact," Faith replied, as they neared the market square in the center of the city.

"Why is that, kitten?" Isabela asked curiously.

"Well. There is a greater reason for us travelling here in the first place, Isabela," Faith replied, smiling at the pirate.

"Greater than, oh, I don't know, escaping the wrath of the templars and certain death?" Isabela snorted.

"Rivaini, let her talk," Varric urged, a grin on his face.

"I love secrets!" Merrill cried enthusiastically. "Are we going to surprise the boys with a gift?"

Faith chuckled at Merrill's words. "Not both of them at once, no," she grinned.

"Go on, now you have us all waiting for it," Isabela said. "I think we should go sit on that bench over there."

They all made their way to the center garden in the square and sat on one of the long stone benches that surrounded a huge statue of Garahel posing with an unsheathed sword in his right hand.

"Well, the thing is that we're here to get a Seer to help Anders," Faith said in a low voice.

"Is Anders in trouble?" Merrill asked quickly, fear flashing in her eyes.

They all rolled their eyes at this comment, almost in unison.

"Merrill," Faith sighed.

"What? Did I miss something?" Merrill replied, her eyes darting to each one of them in turn.

"Kitten, you do beat all," Isabela shook her head with a smile. "What do you think is wrong with Anders?"

"Oh!" Merrill replied, understanding at last. "How are we going to help him?"

"When we were in Ferelden, visiting the king and queen, we met Brother Genitivi, who's done a lot of research on almost everything imaginable. Queen Alyssa told us to speak to him, and it was she, actually, who sent the good brother to our room. The thing is that there _is_ a way to separate Anders from Justice. I wish we could have travelled here before everything that happened. It would have probably made a huge difference," Faith added sadly. "But as soon as we returned from Ferelden things got really bad in Kirkwall, and escalated rather rapidly, so it was impossible to leave again."

"You mean the seers here could do something to get rid of Justice?" Isabela asked, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Yes. There is a ritual Genitivi knows about. I read the book he wrote and it describes the ritual. The only place where it is done is here, by the hedge witches, or seers. It also requires some of Anders's blood, so it may have something to do with blood magic," Faith frowned. "But it would be worth it, if Justice were gone at last."

"Pfft!" Isabela scoffed, waving her hand. "Templars use blood to track down mages. Does that mean they use blood magic, too?"

Faith smiled at Isabela's reply.

"No," Rilka interrupted, blushing suddenly when they turned to look at her. "Blood used for spellcasting is blood magic. If you try to control people's minds, then it's blood magic. I don't think using the blood of mages to track them down falls into the category of blood magic. But I don't really know. I could be wrong."

"I think you have to be evil, consort with demons, cast spells using blood, as Rilka says," Faith agreed. "But we'll see why Anders's blood is necessary for the ritual. The thing is, if there is a chance he and Justice can be separated, I'll take it."

"Do you think that's wise, Hawke? I mean, what will happen to Anders once Justice is gone?" Varric asked, his brow furrowed.

"He'll probably go back to being just Anders. He was so much fun before," Isabela's slow smile caused Varric to chuckle.

"I don't think he'll be _that_ much fun," Faith retorted, rolling her eyes. "He's a married man now, remember?"

"Oh, but will he continue to fight for the mages?" Merrill asked.

"I think he will. Only with less...intensity," Faith replied thoughtfully. Then a smile lit up her entire face. "And I'm sure he'll be more _careful _about it. As in, 'I won't risk my life' careful."

"Then if that's the case, I'd say it's a win-win situation," Varric grinned back at her.

...

Fenris shut the library door behind him. His eyes found Anders, sitting next to the only table in the room, reading a book. He walked over to where he was and sat on a chair nearby. Anders did not even look up.

After a few minutes, Fenris cleared his throat. Anders started, his eyes falling on Fenris immediately.

"Didn't hear you come in," Anders said, looking at Fenris with wide eyes. Fenris gave him a small smile and Anders relaxed. "Is there something you need, Fenris? Are you feeling all right?"

"No," Fenris began, then shook his head. "Yes," he added immediately.

Anders cocked his head looking curiously at the elf, then smiled. "So, is that a 'no' or a 'yes'? Make up your mind."

Fenris scowled, then looked up at Anders, managing a weak smile again. "I - I've made a mess of things."

Anders blinked back at Fenris. He never thought he'd hear those words coming from Fenris, but then again, he never thought he'd marry Faith, just like he never thought he'd merge with Justice. The list was endless...

He smiled encouragingly at the elf, waiting politely for him to continue.

Fenris fidgeted in his seat for a few more minutes, the dragging silence in the room making Anders want to hit him or something. At last the elf started talking.

"I spoke without thinking. My past got in the way," he muttered.

"Again," Anders agreed.

Fenris shook his head, then suddenly sent a fist flying, hitting the table in front of him. The ornaments on the table rattled sadly and Anders actually moved his chair back a bit, putting more distance between Fenris and himself. Fenris stood up, and began pacing the room, until he stopped right in front of Anders.

"I don't want to lose her. I love her," he blurted out, clenching and unclenching his fists. "What should I do?"

Anders's mouth parted and he blinked at the elf. "You're asking _me_?"

"Well, you _are_ still married!" Fenris shot back.

"And this makes me an authority on women?" Anders mused, squinting as he looked up at Fenris.

"You must know something! Something that can help me! What if she never forgives me?" Fenris asked, his voice trembling slightly.

"You honestly think she'll never forgive you? She's carrying _your_ child, Fenris. Be reasonable," Anders chuckled.

"I did not come here so you could laugh at me, mage!" Fenris growled.

"Why did you come here, then?" Anders asked, enjoying himself immensely. He could see the elf struggling to say something, and Anders knew what that something was. He waited patiently, the smile on his face turning into a grin. This was one of those moments that he wished he could freeze in time.

"I - I came for advice. I _need _your advice. There must be something I can do. Please help me," Fenris finally blurted out.

There it was. Anders had to control himself to keep his face serious after Fenris spoke. He put the book on the table and crossed his arms.

"Well," Anders drawled, stretching his legs out lazily. "since you've come to me for advice...there _is_ something that you could do."

Fenris sat back down again, leaning over eagerly, waiting for Anders to speak. His expression was so hopeful that Anders felt a little bit sorry for him.

"Get her some flowers. That should do the trick," he said.

"Flowers?"

"Women love flowers. At least they did, as far as I can remember," Anders added thoughtfully, a far-away expression in his eyes. Then he looked back at Fenris, smiling. "Get her a gift. Women love gifts. Maybe a ring - that ought to do the trick."

Fenris suddenly smiled at Anders, his green eyes now shining. "A ring. Yes. That would be appropriate. I want to marry her as soon as we can."

"There you go."

"Is that all?" Fenris asked.

"I'd apologize to her a lot, too," Anders added. He paused for a moment, his brow furrowed in thought, then smiled. "More than ten times at the very least."

"All right," Fenris nodded.

"The sex will be unbelievable when she finally forgives you," Anders commented, his eyes unfocused and a dreamy, soft smile on his face.

"That's personal," Fenris growled.

"Just saying!"

...

When the group returned to the mansion-turned-inn later that evening, they found Anders and Fenris sitting at a table eating and drinking. Together. _And_ smiling at each other.

Faith closed her eyes shut and opened them again. So it wasn't her imagination. There they were. Anders and Fenris, chatting to each other like old friends. She frowned and approached the table until she was standing next to Anders, who promptly smiled up at her before standing up and giving her a quick kiss.

Wordlessly, she stretched her hand to Anders's face, touching his forehead briefly. It was cool under her hand.

"What's wrong, love?" Anders practically cooed.

"Nothing," she managed as she sat at the table. The innkeeper walked over to where they were sitting.

"Will you be having dinner now, Messers?" The lady asked, briskly smoothing the white apron over her dress. Faith nodded eagerly, her stomach rumbling hungrily and noisily. The innkeeper smiled and walked back towards the counter and the general direction of the kitchen.

"You were gone a long time. Had any luck with the houses?" Anders asked.

"Not yet. We do have an audience with the Count tomorrow though," Faith replied.

"Is that necessary?" Fenris asked, his eyes on Rilka, who had ignored him since they got back.

"It is if you want to buy a home here," Faith replied. "The Count is the only one that can give you permission to buy a house here in Llomerryn. The ruling king of Rivain lives in Dairsmuid, and he doesn't care much about Llomerryn, even though he is the king of Rivain."

"My kind of people," Isabela smiled. "Laid back and focused on wealth and orgies, rather than boring rules and politics."

The innkeeper returned briefly with a basket of rolls which she placed in the middle of the table, before turning around and bustling back into the kitchen.

"What time is your audience with the count, love?" Anders asked as he reached for a warm roll.

"Early in the afternoon. Which means we can sleep in late, or do other things," Faith added, winking at Anders unexpectedly.

He grinned at this, and slid a hand under the table, playfully zapping her leg.

Faith gave a little squeal, and Varric grumbled 'Not here!' under his breath, which threw Faith into a fit of giggles. She fished a warm roll from the basket in the center of the table and quickly ate it. It would be good to have a hot stew after such a long day.

A boy burst into the inn, wheezing and holding on to his side.

"Mistress Patross, Mistress Patross!" He called, gasping for breath.

The innkeeper appeared, staring at the child with wide eyes.

"My sister, she's in labor!"

"I'll be there soon. Keep her comfortable," Mistress Patross said kindly.

"Um, I can help," Anders called out, standing up from where they were sitting.

The boy turned to Anders, desperation in his eyes. "You can?"

"I'm a healer," Anders smiled kindly at the boy. "I've delivered many babies."

Faith stood up, ignoring her hunger for the moment and smiling at the boy as well. She gave a nod and Anders turned back to the child, while the innkeeper grinned at Anders. "It's about time we had a healer around here. The seers mostly deal with the future and other magic. I'll finish up in the kitchen and come help in a while. You'd best follow Athros."

The rest waved at them both as they turned and followed Athros out of the inn.

Anders breathed in the cool, evening air and glanced up at the twinkling stars. "It's almost like being back in Kirkwall," he said happily. "Except there are no offending sewer smells and you can actually see the sky here."

"Yes, the likeness is unreal," Faith quipped.

...

The man kept to the shadows as he followed them, keeping his distance. The other man with him did the same.

The two men rounded a corner of one of the buildings and waited, as the boy leading Faith and Anders walked across the only bridge in town to a small farmhouse standing near the river bank.

"What do we do now?" Petros asked Lysander as soon as Faith, Anders and Athros disappeared inside.

"Now we wait," Lysander replied, leaning against the stone wall.

...


	55. Once a Healer, Always a Healer

_**A huge thanks to my dear friend, LadyDarksbane who has edited this chapter! Many thanks to my wonderful reviewers (sadiesadist, darkkchylde, KnightOfHolyLight) and to all of you who have added this story to your list of favorites! :D **_

_**My daughter is here from the east coast for a visit, so I may take a little longer to update! **_

_**Bioware owns! :D **_

Chapter 55 - Once a Healer, Always a Healer

Anders draped an arm around Faith's shoulders as they walked quietly back to the inn. He stole a sideways glance at her - she was looking straight ahead at the road but her eyes were dark and sad. Even though they had just witnessed the miracle of life, he knew very well what had gotten her so worked up. He cleared his throat after a few moments and stopped walking, wrapping his arms around her protectively.

"Copper for your thoughts, my dear."

"I don't think you want to hear what's on my mind," Faith began in a low voice.

Anders tightened his grip on her, then lifted her chin with his forefinger and thumb, forcing her to stare up into his eyes.

"I know what's on your mind, sweetheart," he whispered. "And I can tell you that I would have liked it to be different for us, too."

Faith didn't say anything for a few moments, then she pushed away, disentangling herself from his arms. "Let's just get to the inn, all right?"

"Faith..."

"Don't. Just don't." She sighed.

Anders grabbed her arm and pulled her into his arms again. His lips descended on hers, and she stiffened in his arms after a while - something that surprised him and made him let her go.

"I don't want you to stand there and lie to me yet again, Anders."

He was taken aback and stared back at her, blinking. "You think I would lie about this? The truth is that I would love to be a father, Faith!"

She shook her head sadly; her shoulders drooping visibly. The inn was now within reach and she started to walk towards it, but not before she delivered a last remark that shut him up for the rest of the night.

"Not enough to stop fighting for the mages altogether and settle down peacefully to raise a family."

...

Delphos looked down at the two dead templars. His men had ambushed them as soon as they had left the ship. It wasn't his lack of love for the templars that had prompted him to give the order to kill them, but rather the fact that they didn't want any form of authority on the island. They did have a ruling count, but he had ties to the raiders and let them operate. The count got a large sum of money by looking the other way, and the raiders had a safe place to live in.

One of his men walked towards him holding a parchment. Delphos nodded as he took it from the raider's hand, fixing his eyes on the document. As he read, a cruel smile appeared on his face.

"Well, well, well," he mused out loud. He then ordered his men to dispose of the bodies in the usual way and turned to walk back to the warehouse after asking Lysander and Petros to follow him.

As soon as they reached the headquarters, he asked Lysander and Petros to sit down, then handed Lysander the parchment. Lysander read it in silence, but he looked up at Delphos with wide eyes when he was done.

"Soreikos would want to know about this," Lysander said as soon as he found his voice.

Delphos frowned, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Must you drag him into this?"

"He _is_ our leader," Lysander pointed out, frowning at Delphos.

"He isn't here. And while he is away, I'm in charge. You'll do well to remember this always," Delphos snapped back.

"You'd love to take his place, wouldn't you?" Lysander muttered under his breath.

Delphos burst out laughing at this. "Why, Lysander!" He gasped, as soon as he managed to stop laughing, "I do believe you have the power of seeing the future! You should have been a Seer instead of a raider."

Lysander shook his head. "So you _do_ want to get rid of Soreikos, don't you? I was right..." he murmured, but loud enough so that the other man heard him clearly.

"Your loyalty to him is sickening. It could get you killed, you know," Delphos said dryly, moving behind the only desk in the room. He sat down, smiling at Lysander. Petros fidgeted nervously on his chair, looking at both men warily.

"The men are loyal to Soreikos, they will never agree to whatever it is you plan," Lysander practically growled.

"Your loyalty clouds your mind," Delphos sneered. "It is most unfortunate that I need you around. Otherwise, I would be cutting your throat right about now."

Lysander said nothing to this, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What are our orders, boss?" Petros mumbled, interrupting the tense silence in the room.

"We proceed with the plan. I've already ordered my men to ready themselves for the ambush," Soreikos replied. He then turned to Lysander, his eyes steely and dangerous. "And I'd advise you to stay close, Lysander..." He paused for a moment and leaned forward, a cruel smile on his face, "if you value your life."

...

It had been nearly a week since Anders had declared that he was a healer, and he already had his hands full. People were coming to see him and the inn was now visited by a wide variety of locals that were suffering from various ailments who needed his help.

The innkeeper had provided Anders with a room at the back of the inn, and as the people who came to see him sometimes paid for his services, he would give her a portion of the coin he earned at the end of the day. Mistress Patross frequently helped him as much as she could as well, and made sure he had endless supplies of potions and bandages.

Both Athros and his sister, a sweet-tempered girl called Jenna, had come to visit him. Jenna had carried her newborn baby lovingly in her arms and he had checked it to make sure it was healthy. Jenna had thanked him once again for his help. In fact, she had been the one to spread the word to the rest of the townspeople that they had a healer within their midst.

Faith had been quiet and withdrawn, coming to bed late or in bed by the time Anders got to bed himself, so they had not talked since the night he had delivered the baby. She was avoiding him, plain and simple and he did not know how to get her to smile again, without feeling bad about it. She had spoken the truth - he would never turn his back on the mages in order to lead a normal life with her. The cause for him still came first, even if it made him feel terrible to realize this.

The door to the room of his 'clinic' opened and a man was brought in, wheezing. He held his hand to his side, and was covered in blood. Anders quickly went to work, focusing on scanning the wound first and quickly discovering the man had been poisoned. Bowing his head, he concentrated on getting rid of the poison at first. Once that was done, his hands glowed as he knitted the man's flesh together, until the wound had disappeared completely and not even a scar remained.

The person who had brought in the man had vanished, and Anders found this odd. He looked down at the man who was unconscious and shrugged, turning around to the desk and cupboard where he kept his potions. Mistress Patross had brought him extra elfroot and he wanted to finish making the potions, so he got busy.

"Is everything all right?" Mistress Patross asked, as she stepped into the room quietly.

"Yes, thank you," Anders smiled as he looked up from what he was doing. Mistress Patross smiled back and stepped closer to where Anders was working.

"Need any help?" She offered, her eyes on the potion bottles on the desk.

"No, I'll be done soon."

Mistress Patross smiled and her eyes roamed around the room. When she caught sight of the man lying on the cot, a gasp escaped her lips and her right hand flew to her mouth. Anders stopped what he was doing and frowned.

"What is it?" He asked quickly, turning around completely to look at the man on the cot. "Do you know him?"

The innkeeper nodded, then looked at Anders, fear in her eyes. Anders didn't understand at first why she looked so frightened. But when he heard what she said, he understood perfectly well why she was so afraid.

"That man, he's...he's a raider!"

...

Faith looked around the library, desperately trying to find a book that would keep her occupied until it was time for dinner. She hadn't been out today because Rilka was feeling sick, so she was bored. It had been hard to avoid Anders, but she had been successful so far. Faith sighed as she sat on the chair at the only desk in the room. The truth of the matter was that she missed her Anders. Memories of his smile and gentle touch sprang up and she closed her eyes, letting the memories flow and totally forgetting where she was. The door opened and closed, but she didn't hear it.

"I was hoping to find you here," Anders's voice cut through her thoughts and she started, blushing furiously. A gasp escaped her lips and then she bit her bottom lip. Anders suppressed a smile and walked up to where she was sitting.

"I - I came here looking for a book. Rilka is ill in bed as you know, so we decided against going out today, and I had to find something to do before I went crazy. Well...crazier than usual, that is..." she stopped talking, out of breath and still all flushed, biting her lower lip again. Anders eyes drank in her discomfort and embarrassment, totally forgetting what he was doing there at that moment as a sudden urge to take her in his arms kept all other thoughts away. _Maker's breath, she was so enticing and perfect! _

"I - um...did you wish to talk to me about something?"

Her question brought him back to the reason he was there. "I have something I'd like you to see," he smiled, his eyes darting to her lips and back to the rest of her face.

"Something?"

"Well, more like a 'someone' actually. I thought you'd better be informed about this first-hand, because it's something that I think you should know about. Maybe you'd like to come with me to see what I'm talking about?"

"Go with you? Where, exactly?" Faith bit her lower lip again and blinked.

It took all of Anders's self-control not to stand up, and pull her into an embrace for a desperate kiss at that moment. He struggled to keep himself cool and composed and smiled before he replied, though he was certain that she could probably hear his heart thumping loudly in his chest all the same.

"To the room I call 'my clinic', of course. Where else would I take you?" He teased.

He was rewarded with a smile - something he hadn't seen for a week. He smiled back as she stood up, nodding.

"Lead the way, Healer," Faith teased back playfully.

Anders could take it no longer, he stood up and pulled her close, his lips descending on hers quickly. He was surprised when her lips parted and she kissed him back. They both moaned softly as the kiss deepened.

At that moment, Varric walked into the room, obviously bored out of his wits for staying at the inn, and came to a stop. He cleared his throat, a grin on his face when Anders and Faith literally jumped and disentangled themselves hastily from each other's arms.

"Sorry, didn't know I'd be interrupting a hot scene in the library," Varric teased. "I mean, it _is_ the _library_, not a room, you know..."

"Ah, we - we were just leaving anyway," Faith mumbled, blushing a deep red as she made her way to the door. Anders just grinned, following her closely. Varric chuckled as they left the room, then made his way to the desk in the room. He sat down and smiled.

"Time to start telling the story for real, I guess," he murmured. Then, he pulled out a leather-bound book from his backpack and a quill. There was a bottle of ink on the desk and he smiled as he dipped the quill into the ink and started to write.

...

Fenris was sweating. For the first time in his life he was facing something that made him nervous and unsure and it was killing him. The roses he had picked the day before were a little droopy and he scowled as he looked at the flowers for a moment, as if his scowl would make them perk up somehow. His gaze shifted to the closed door in front of him and his scowl vanished. He blinked then took a deep breath and mustered his courage enough to knock on the door.

"Come in," a faint voice called from the other side.

He took another deep breath and opened the door. Rilka was sitting on the bed, looking incredibly pale and wan, but beautiful to him. She had been ill all morning. Anders had told him it was morning sickness and normal in her condition, but he was still worried about what she was going through.

Rilka had looked up and her eyes widened slightly when she saw it was Fenris who was standing there. She saw the droopy flowers in his right hand and her lips twitched for a few moments, but she looked away.

"What do you want, Fenris? I'm not feeling very well..." she said wearily.

Fenris walked slowly over to the bed, then sat on the only chair in the room so he was in directly in front of Rilka. He held out the droopy flowers, his eyes pleading for her to finally forgive him. She just looked at the roses and he saw her lips twitch again, but then she bit her lower lip and looked away.

"I - I'm sorry, Rilka. You know how my past follows me wherever I go. I really didn't want to hurt you," Fenris mumbled.

"I thought you finally accepted that there were good mages, Fenris. You're in love with a mage, aren't you? Did you ever stop to think that the baby we're having may be a mage? What are you going to do then? Tell our child that he is a monster?"

Fenris's eyes widened, and he shook his head. "No, no! I'd never do anything like that!"

"Fenris, you called _all _mages monsters. All. Of. Them. No exceptions. If you can't fight your past and look to the future, then-"

"No!" Fenris interrupted Rilka, the fear in his eyes evident. "I won't lose you! I love you too much! I really don't think all mages monsters at all. I know you are good. And if Anders wasn't an abomination, well, I -"

Rilka shook her head sadly. "There you go. Can't you see he is a healer? Can't you see the good he does?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I can. I - look Rilka, I'm very sorry. You have no idea how sorry I am. I just want another chance. I want to show you how much I love you. I want to show you how I love everything about you."

Rilka looked up. "Even my magic?" She asked in a small voice.

"Even your magic, love. Even your magic," Fenris murmured. And then he kissed her.

Rilka's lips slowly parted and he groaned, deepening the kiss. After a few moments, they came up for air, and smiled at each other. Fenris then held out the roses he had brought her once again.

"These are for you. I'm sorry they look so miserable. I picked them yesterday..."

He handed her the flowers and she smiled, then gave a chuckle. She put her left hand over them and the flowers perked up, and were now as fresh and beautiful as when Fenris had first picked them. Fenris smiled as he witnessed the miracle of her magic on the flowers. She stood up and put them in a vase on the only table in the room that was near an open window, then turned back to him.

"I love roses. These are beautiful, Fenris, thank you."

"Only because your magic made them beautiful again, my love," Fenris said in a low voice getting up as well. He took her in his arms gently, and kissed her again. "Here, lie down. Are you feeling any better?"

"A little better, yes. I think I'm actually a bit hungry. Maybe I'll try to have some soup now?"Rilka said, her eyes warm on Fenris's.

"I'll go to Mistress Patross and bring some soup for you, then. I'll be back shortly."

...

Faith's eyes fell on the man who was still unconscious on the cot in the room. She turned a puzzled look at Anders, who was standing quietly beside her. Mistress Patross nodded at them both and left the room quickly and quietly, but not before Faith could see the fear in her eyes.

"I don't understand," Faith said slowly. "Who is this man?"

"Mistress Patross says he's a raider. Someone brought him here, severely wounded. He had a nasty gash on his side, and had been wounded with a poisoned weapon. I managed to extract the poison and heal his wound. You can see why I wanted you to see this...um...him."

"Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Raiders have never made themselves known to us, have they? Why bring this man here to save his life? He must be important," Faith mused, her eyes still fixed on the man.

Anders nodded at this, frowning. "I didn't get a chance to see the person who brought him in. I was too focused on his wound and in helping him. But I do know that the person literally dropped him and left, and I didn't get a good look at his face. Raiders normally leave their men to die when they are fatally wounded. Well, that's what Isabella has told us, anyway, and we both know she knows a lot about raiders."

"Can you wake him, Anders? I think we should find out more about him," Faith asked.

Anders nodded and stepped closer to the man. He held out his hands and they started to glow, emitting a soft, golden light. Faith recognized the glow immediately: Anders was applying a rejuvenating spell on the unconscious raider.

After a few moments, the man moaned and his eyelids moved. He blinked sleepily and looked confused once he was finally awake. Then his eyes fell on Anders and Faith. He quickly started to sit up and groaned. He obviously was still in a weakened state.

"Easy there," Anders spoke in a soothing voice. "You were close to death when you were brought in. You still aren't well enough to just stand up and walk out. I managed to extract the poison and heal your wounds, but you still have to lay back down and get some rest so that you can get your strength back."

The man lay down but shook his head. "No time to rest. Must get up. Have to!" He said, then coughed.

"Whatever seems to be important to you right now, isn't as important as your health, friend," Anders said firmly. "I'll make sure you are completely healed before I let you walk out that door, you can be sure of that."

"You don't understand!" The man cried out. "They're going to ambush him tomorrow! I have to stop him!"

"If you leave right now, you won't even get to the door. You'll probably faint," Anders said, his hands over the man. "You've lost far too much blood to stand on your feet."

The man grabbed Ander's arm frantically, his eyes pleading as he spoke. "You have to help me, please!"

Anders shook his head, a smile on his lips. Faith stepped closer.

"Help you?" She asked, her eyes warily on the man. "You're a raider, aren't you? Why should we help you?"

"Because if you do, you'll be safe from the templars, that's why!" Both Anders and Faith froze at his words. The man took a deep breath and coughed again. "Look, I know who you are. But most importantly, the man who is leading the ambush knows too, and that is why we should stop him! It's the only way for you two to be safe from the templars as well, so it's imperative that you help me!"

Faith recovered from her surprise first. She shook her head as if to clear it, then stepped closer to the man. "I don't help people I don't know anyway. Well, not lately," she added hastily. "Can you at least tell us your name? And while you're at it, could you explain how it is that you say you know us?"

The man nodded his head vigorously, his eyes now fixed on Faith's. "Yes, of course. My name is Lysander. And I know you both because I've been following you around ever since you arrived here."

...


	56. Rescuing the Raider

_**Wow! So many reviews! I can feel the love! Thank you so much moosesaregreat, darkkchylde, MB18932, KnightOfHolyLight, wheresilent, xx Twilight Princess xx, Sadiesadist! Thanks to all those of you who have put this story on their list of favorites as well! :D **_

_**Thanks to my dear friend LadyDarksbane, who kindly helped by editing this chapter as well! :D **_

_**There are two small events from Asunder mentioned at the end of this chapter. Nothing major, I assure you! :D For timeline purposes only. ;) If you have not yet read the book, try to get it, if you can. The story is awesome! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I just play with the characters. :) **_

Chapter 56 - Rescuing the Raider

Both Anders and Faith stared at the man, unable to utter a word for a few moments. Faith was the first to recover and her eyes narrowed as she spoke.

"You've been following us? Why?" Her voice was dangerously low and her right hand moved instinctively to the hilt of one of her sheathed daggers.

"Oh!" The man who called himself Lysander exclaimed, noticing the change in Faith's demeanor and the direction her hand was going. "No, no, no! I mean you no harm, I assure you! I was ordered to follow you. And just so you know, raiders do that. We study the newcomers to see what it is they are up to."

"Why should we trust you? After all, you have been spying on us and besides, what does all this have to do with templars? Are you going to tell them we're here?" Faith's hands twitched nervously on the hilts of her daggers as she waited for Lysander's response.

"No. I won't be the one informing them or taking you to them. But Delphos will for sure. This is why I need your help. Delphos is in command while Soreikos, our leader, is away. But he has grown power-thirsty. He wants to lead. The only way he can is to capture Soreikos and kill him. This is why he is planning to ambush him tomorrow night, when he returns from a mission in Antiva."

As soon as Faith heard all this, she dropped her hands to her side and sat on a chair opposite the cot in the room. Anders also adopted a more relaxed position.

"So, you need us to help you save your leader from the ambush, right?" Anders drawled, his eyes fixed on Lysander.

"That is correct, yes. Delphos has managed to convince at least two dozen of our men that Soreikos should be dealt with. In exchange he is giving them more money and land. Even though these men are loyal to Delphos because it is convenient for them, I think that his personal assistant, Petros, has been thinking about turning against him. I'm sure he was the one who brought me here. I was unconscious most of the journey, but I did see him help me before I blacked out completely. Please, if you do this, Soreikos would reward you handsomely. I daresay he would do anything you asked him to do!" Lysander looked at them both, his eyes pleading. He started coughing and Anders fetched a rejuvenating potion from the cupboard and gave it to him. Lysander croaked out his thanks after drinking it and waited for them to speak.

"Why were you brought here like this? What happened to you?" Anders asked quietly.

The man blushed slightly, shutting his eyes for a few moments before he replied to the question. "I brought this on myself," he mumbled. "It was very stupid of me. Delphos warned me he would kill me if I went against him - if I continued being loyal to Soreikos. I continued to argue with him and informed him I would never go against Soreikos. He attacked me on my way out of the warehouse where our headquarters is located. He left me for dead. Petros found me and brought me here. And you both know the rest..."

Faith and Anders looked at each other briefly and a silent agreement was reached between them. Anders gave her a quick nod and then focused his attention on Lysander. It was Faith who spoke to him, however.

"Soreikos would do anything we asked? Anything at all?" She asked, a smile on her face. She tilted her head and waited for him to reply.

Lysander smiled back. "Yes. I think he would. Saving his life would prove invaluable to you."

Faith's smile turned into a wolfish grin. Anders chuckled, his eyes fixed on her for a few moments. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

"I think you've got yourself a deal, Lysander," Faith purred, her eyes twinkling up a storm.

...

"You did _what_?" Isabela shrieked, causing Fenris to jump unexpectedly at the sound, since he was closer to her than the rest. "Why in Thedas would you make a deal with a _raider_? Have you two lost your minds?" Isabela growled her last question, her eyes narrowing.

"Rivaini, why don't we wait for them to explain things before we decide to cut off their heads?" Varric commented in a helpful tone.

"That's just wonderful, Varric. Thanks for that," Anders muttered.

Isabela had stood up and was pacing the room angrily. "Do you even _know_ that raiders are infamous for betraying their _friends_? And you two aren't exactly this raider's friends!"

"Anders saved his life," Faith said meekly.

Isabela scoffed, her cheeks a bright red. "If the plan is to set a trap for you, then they have succeeded! You can't be seriously considering this, can you?" When Faith did not reply, but avoided looking at Isabela, the pirate groaned and sat back down. "You _are_ considering it! Blast!"

The tension in the room was palpable, but in spite of it, Faith found herself speaking. "Think of what we could get in return!" She sang out in a hopeful voice.

"A knife in your back?" Isabela shot back.

"No! I mean really, Isabela! Rescuing the leader of the raiders from death! Think about it!"

"I'm trying not to, but you aren't helping," Isabela nearly snarled.

"She has a point, there is-" Varric started, but Isabela's fiery look silenced him.

"Where is this man?" Isabela demanded, fixing her angry eyes on Anders. Anders took an involuntary step back.

"Um...in the room where I heal people?" He offered in a small voice.

"I'll go see him. I know when people lie better than you two!" Isabela stormed off, throwing angry glances at both Anders and Faith before she disappeared down the corridor.

An awkward silence remained in her wake. Faith shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Fenris focused on holding Rilka's hand, while Rilka looked at the patterns on the floor carpet. Varric inspected the ceiling. Merrill opened a book and pretended to read. Anders crossed his arms and sat on the desk in the room, staring blankly at the opposite wall.

"Sooo," Faith finally said, breaking the silence. Everyone turned to look at her. "Anyone want a drink?"

...

By the time Isabela returned, Faith was a little tipsy, which was saying something, since Isabela hadn't been gone for too long. Faith smiled affectionately at the pirate and nodded towards the table, where an open bottle of wine sat. Isabela made a beeline to the bottle and poured herself a large glass. She drank most of the contents then sat down, sighing heavily.

"Maker, I needed that," Isabela muttered.

"Well? Did you discover that everything he said was a lie and it was all merely a plan to lure us into a trap?" Faith asked, her voice slightly slurred.

Isabela sighed again. "I - I discovered he was telling the truth."

Faith grinned, straightening up in her chair. "Ha! I knew it! Dunno why the rest of you were so worried! See?"

"Isn't it amazing how much a drink can make you relax, love?" Anders teased. Faith turned to glare at him and stuck out her tongue.

Isabela rolled her eyes. "This doesn't mean I trust him! He could very well be lying, but he did seem honest. Honest for a raider, that is. Never knew honest raiders existed. Guess there is an exception to every rule after all." She drained the rest of the wine and put her empty glass back on the table.

"Then it's settled. We'll go help Lysander tomorrow night," Faith smiled.

"You are going _nowhere_ without me," Isabela said firmly.

"I don't think we were planning to walk into an ambush on our own," Anders smiled.

"I'd like to tag along too," Varric spoke up.

"Rilka, you should stay here, with Fenris," Faith said, smiling at her cousin.

"I don't _want_ to stay, but since I'm not feeling really well yet, I will." Rilka smiled as Fenris squeezed her hand affectionately.

"It's settled then. All of us will go, except for Fenris, Rilka and Orana. I think we should get some dinner and go to bed, then. We'll need to rest in order to fight well tomorrow." Faith smiled at the group then started walking towards the staircase, Anders following closely behind. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving! Meet you all downstairs for dinner!"

...

Lysander was feeling much better the following morning. Faith called for a meeting in the afternoon, so they could go over the details of the rescue. Lysander supplied them with a map of the terrain. Soreikos ship would be arriving at the raiders' private docks located east of the city.

"There is a cliff close to the docks. Delphos and his men will be there, waiting for Soreikos to go up the road that leads to the city. This is where the ambush will take place," Lysander informed them.

"How many men will be there exactly?" Faith asked, gazing intently at the map, already memorizing the area.

"At least two dozen. The rest of them who are still loyal to Soreikos don't know what is happening and they aren't here anyway but on other missions. We...er...travel a lot, you see..."

"That we already know. I've killed a lot of raiders in Kirkwall," Faith grinned.

"So I heard," Lysander grinned back. "The Champion of Kirkwall was the talk around here for some time."

"Will all his men be in the same area then?" Isabela interrupted.

Lysander nodded. "The archers will be close to the edges of the cliff, there are five archers in total. Delphos will give a signal to four of his men to run ahead and place a cart further along the road to block his entrance to the city. Then they will all attack at once."

"Then we need to intercept the men who are in charge of placing the cart on the road. We should move quietly and quickly for this," Faith said, her eyes still fixed on the map. She pointed to a path that led to the cliff. "We should ambush these men first, then meet Delphos and the rest of his men on the cliff, before he attacks. Varric, make sure you focus on the archers first."

Varric smiled. "Bianca loves archers."

...

Of course, things didn't go exactly as planned.

They arrived at the area where the ambush was to take place, but discovered that Delphos hadn't waited for Soreikos to head up the road to the city - he had attacked the ship directly and earlier than Lysander thought. The men had massacred Soreikos and his men, and the ones still on the ship were busy looting what was in the cargo hold.

"Change of plans! Kill the men on the ship!" Lysander whispered to Faith. Then, without waiting to see if Faith and her group would follow him, he boarded the ship and began fighting.

There were only six men onboard, so the fight was quick. Faith found Lysander in the captain's quarters, his daggers pointing at a man's chest. The man was cowering on the floor begging for his life.

"I swear!" The man was saying. "They took him to the warehouse already! We were just getting the loot for ourselves! Delphos said it was ours! Please don't kill me!"

"It's your turn to die now," Lysander said coldly, then plunged one of his daggers directly into the man's heart. He turned to Faith and the rest of the group. "If Delphos has already captured Soreikos we have little time to waste! Let's go!"

He led the way up the road to the city, but Faith soon caught up with him. "How do you know he hasn't killed Soreikos already?"

"Soreikos was returning with some of the loot. The rest is on an island somewhere in the Amaranthine Ocean. Nobody knows where exactly, except for Soreikos. Delphos wants the treasure. He is probably interrogating Soreikos right now and hasn't killed him yet."

They reached a large building in the docks, and Lysander took out a key. He opened the door silently and went inside, followed by the rest of the group. The whole place was dark and there was nobody around. Faith bristled visibly: where were the rest of Delphos's men?

"He must have him somewhere here. I'm guessing his office," Lysander whispered.

Faith and her group followed Lysander through corridors until they reached a room. He flung the door open and Delphos, who had been sitting at his desk, quickly stood up.

"Ah. I have been expecting you, dear Lysander. Always so predictable!" Raiders suddenly materialized behind the group and one of them quickly overpowered Varric, who was the closest to the door. The raider was pressing a dagger to Varric's neck.

A growl escaped Faith's lips as soon as she found herself surrounded by three raiders. Anders flickered blue as Justice made an appearance. Before any of the people in the room had time to even register what was happening, he quickly let out a tempest spell that hit all the raiders in the room. They jerked around and started screaming. Isabela actually laughed as she plunged one of her daggers into the nearest raider. By the time Merrill attacked with one of her sleeping spells, Faith knew victory was theirs. Varric quickly hit the raider behind him and fired a rain of arrows on the rest of the raiders. Delphos swore under his breath and tried to run off, but Lysander got to him first.

"Where is he, Delphos? What have you done with him?" Lysander snarled.

"In the basement! He's in the basement!" Delphos practically screamed. Lysander brought his blade across and decapitated Delphos. He then turned and ran from the room.

"Stupid fool to fight a group with two mages in it!" Lysander said angrily. "Follow me!"

They reached the basement in no time, and flung open a closed door at the end of a corridor. A man was lying on the floor. He was unconscious and had been hit pretty badly. Lysander untied the man and turned to Anders, who was already falling to his knees in front of the man.

Anders scanned Soreikos and worked his healing magic. A while later, the man groaned and opened his eyes.

"Lysander! I - what happened?" The man blinked, closing his eyes for a few moments.

"It's all right, Soreikos. You're safe now," Lysander smiled.

...

The following morning, Mistress Patross knocked on Faith's door. Faith opened the door and smiled at the innkeeper.

"This arrived for you, dear," the lady said, holding out a missive to Faith.

"Thank you so much, Mistress Patross. We'll be down for breakfast soon," Faith smiled. The innkeeper nodded and hurried off. Faith closed the door and sat at the desk in the room.

"Anything interesting?" Anders called from the bed. He stretched and sat up just as Faith tore open the wax seal and read the contents interestedly.

"We have a meeting with Soreikos apparently. He's expecting us at his office this morning," Faith smiled.

"Ah. Time for the reward, I take it?" Anders smiled.

"You know, I was never happier to see Justice yesterday. It's fortunate he chose to appear."

Anders shook his head. "He felt threatened and merely defended himself. He's becoming difficult to handle actually. He wants to fight the templars in the front lines, love. I'm not sure how much longer I can last before he overpowers me completely." Anders sighed and his shoulders slumped, while Faith frowned, a worried look on her face.

"Just hold on, Anders," she whispered. "Varric has already contacted some of the dwarves who live here. I'm sure he'll have news of the war soon."

"I hope so," Anders replied, now dressing in his leather armor, his lips set in a thin line.

Faith walked over to him and gave him a hug and a kiss. "It will all work out," she whispered lovingly. "You'll see."

...

Soreikos was so grateful to Faith, Anders and the rest of the group, that he swore to protect them from the templars, which was what Faith wanted in the first place. Aside from that, he gave Faith a generous amount of coin.

The men who had been out on different missions soon returned, and were told to protect and guard Faith and their group with their lives.

Faith continued to look for a good Seer and a house to buy in the city. She met with the Count and he actually directed them to a property in the outskirts of the city that was empty. So she finally bought the house and Faith and her friends moved out of the inn, and into the sprawling farmhouse, which included land and a wheat field.

Around the same time they moved in, Faith finally managed to secure a good Seer. The only problem was that the said Seer lived in the wilderness, about a day's journey from the city on top of a hill. She pondered on how to successfully lie to Anders about her making a journey without him as she wanted to speak to the woman first.

But as the months went by, she discovered that Anders did not want to be left alone and followed her everywhere. He had a haunted look on his face most of the time and Faith realized that she would have to bring him with her and pay the Seer to go ahead with the ritual once and for all. There was no other way to solve the problem. At least Anders was busy on most days because he was now attending to the sick in a room in their new home. This enabled Faith to speak to the rest of the group and plan the trip to the Seer.

Around the same timeframe, Varric received reliable news through the merchants in Llomerryn. The news was disturbing to say the least. There was trouble in Orlais, something about a failed plot to murder the Divine. The mages in Dairsmuid had rebelled against their templar jailors, and the knight commander had called for the Rite of Annulment.

"Are you sure about this, Varric?" Faith frowned as she kept her eyes on Anders's door that led to his clinic.

"As sure as I was when I got information in Kirkwall, Hawke," he shook his head. "Things are heating up fast."

"Balls," Isabela muttered, a frown on her face. Merrill and Rilka said nothing, but the concern in their eyes spoke volumes. Fenris shook his head, preferring to keep his thoughts to himself as well.

"We're going to have to take care of Justice sooner than we thought, then," Faith sighed, her eyes still on the door. "I'm afraid there is no other way."

...


	57. Painful and Deadly

_**I'm THRILLED with the reviews! :D Thanks so much sadiesadist, MB18932, wheresilent, xx Twilight Princess xx, KnightOfHolyLight, moosesaregreat and darkkchylde! **_

_**A special thanks to my friend Callia (LadyDarksbane) for editing this chapter! You totally rock! :D **_

_**Yes, the ritual is finally going to take place. What happens afterwards is a whole different story...er...chapter...haha! **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I swear! **_

Chapter 57 - Painful and Deadly

The sweat was pouring off Anders's face and he was panting. He focused on the move Faith had taught him only a few hours ago, silently going over the steps. Faith's words came to his head, unbidden: _You need to surprise your opponent. Never give them a clue to what you'll do next. Think quickly and act. Only then will your daggers cause more pain than the best sword._

Isabela was taunting him yet again. Anders flung a smoke bomb at her feet and quickly disappeared from view as he silently rolled on the floor and stood up behind the pirate. In one quick movement, he lunged at her, one of his daggers at her neck. Isabela groaned and rolled her eyes at Faith who was watching them and wearing a huge grin on her face.

"You taught him the backstab movement? No fair, Hawke! You should have told me!" the rogue protested, as Anders let her go with a snort.

"Why should I have told you? It spoils the surprise," Faith chuckled. She turned her head and beamed at Anders, who had grabbed a piece of cloth from one of the dummies in the vast room and was now wiping his brow.

"She's an awfully good teacher." Anders finished mopping his forehead and face, his warm brown eyes now gazing at Faith lovingly. "I can't believe I just did that."

"Neither can I," Isabela snapped, obviously annoyed at being caught unawares.

Faith suppressed a giggle, biting her lower lip. "Aww, Bella, don't be angry! You know it's really good that he is learning to use the daggers. It goes with the leathers he is wearing now."

The pirate sighed, shaking her head, but smiled nevertheless. "I suppose it's a good thing. Magic has its uses and all, but what happens if you run out of mana?"

"Chug down a bottle of lyrium," Anders smirked.

"And if there is no lyrium? What then?" Isabela added defiantly, unable to stop herself from grinning.

"Ha! Use the daggers, of course!" Anders chortled. He was obviously very pleased with himself and Faith couldn't blame him. It wasn't everyday that anyone could surprise Isabela like he had.

"Sorry to interrupt this, um...hell, I don't know what it is, but you have a patient, oh mighty healer," Varric announced walking into the room.

"My cue to leave, then. I'll see to the patient and go take a bath afterwards. See you at dinner," Anders gave Faith a quick kiss, his arms tightening around her waist for a few minutes before he left in the direction of the 'clinic', which was a couple of rooms on the west side of the huge farmhouse. Faith watched him go, a small smile on her lips, her eyes dreamy and unfocused.

"So, are we still going to do it?" Varric asked, once Anders was gone.

Faith came back to the present with a start. She turned to Varric, and nodded.

"Tomorrow. Anders thinks we're going on a mission. I told him we're rescuing one of the locals who has been kidnapped by the qunari."

"You told him that? And he bought it?" Isabela shook her head.

"What?" Faith shrugged. "I thought it was a good lie."

"Well, the qunari who live on the north of the island get along well with everyone. I'm glad Anders doesn't know this, otherwise, he'd have guessed there was something else going on."

Faith frowned at this. "You could have mentioned this before, you know..."

"We've never really spoken about them. How was I to know that you were going to use them in a lie?" Isabela grinned.

"Oh, well. He doesn't know, and that's what matters. What we have to do is tell the rest. Do you want me to call them to the library?" Varric asked Faith.

"Yes, Varric. We should go over everything and plan who's going. We still haven't done that."

...

By the time they all had agreed on who would go with Faith and Anders, it was time for dinner. Rilka would stay behind with Fenris. Merrill had to go, there was no question about it. It was she who would hit Anders with a much needed sleeping spell after all. Both Varric and Isabela insisted on going, so Faith had agreed with a smile on her face.

"I've worked up an appetite, unbelievable," Faith commented, as they walked into the dining room. Anders was nowhere to be seen.

"Maybe the patient is taking longer, huh?" Varric mused as he sat down. Orana bustled about happily, bringing the food to the table.

"I'll go check on him. I think he said he was taking a bath afterwards..." Faith said as she walked out of the room, towards the staircase. Soon she was walking down the corridor to the room she and Anders shared.

She opened the door slowly and saw him lying on the bed fast asleep. Smiling, she closed the door behind her and approached the bed. His hair was still wet, and he was sprawled on the bed totally naked. Shaking her head she walked to the wardrobe and pulled out a blanket, then covered him with it. He murmured something under his breath, but did not wake up. She'd just have to bring up some food so that he could eat later, when he woke up...

Faith stood there looking at him tenderly for a few moments, a soft smile on her face. He rarely slept so she was actually happy to see him resting for a change. His pale eyelashes fluttered, and he smiled in his sleep. Whatever it was that he was dreaming, it was pleasant. Her eyes fell on the table beside the bed, where a copy of "Arcane Warrior, The Forgotten Art" lay. Her smile deepened.

"All for you," she murmured, her loving gaze on him again. Then she turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

...

As soon as they left the house, it started raining. Faith looked up at the dark, angry clouds, her eyes dark with worry.

"It's going to get worse," Anders said loudly, his voice carrying over the whistling wind.

"We have to do this today," Faith retorted. "If we don't, the lady could die."

"I wasn't suggesting we turn back, love."

Faith tried not to feel too guilty as she led the group into the forest. The trees protected them from most of the rain, but as they walked along the path, it grew darker.

"Perfect weather to be under the trees. If lightning strikes, it'll just hit the tree," Isabela called out dryly.

"We can run out of the way of falling trees and tree branches," Merrill replied cheerfully.

"Sure, Daisy. We won't slip and fall in the mud," Varric added.

Faith peered up the path. She knew they were still going north and that was all that mattered. She was having a little bit of trouble seeing properly, but she hoped the hill would be noticeable as soon as they reached it. According to the directions she had received, they should come across it any moment now.

A flash of lightning illuminated the entire area, and Faith gave a cry of triumph as the hill came to view. "It isn't far, we just have to go up the hill," she called out to the rest, then rushed to a path on the right.

"Well, at least it's raining. The kidnappers won't be able to see us when we approach them, as visibility is close to zero," Anders deadpanned.

The climb was difficult, as the terrain was muddy and slippery. Twice, Anders caught Faith as she slipped, and Isabela let out a stream of curse words when she slipped as well. The only one that was calmly plodding along was Varric. Merrill was daintily avoiding the mud, but drenched, and kept wiping her eyes in order to see where she was going. Even so, she was moving quicker than the rest, and was the first to spot the small house at the top of the hill in another flash of lightning.

"Oh, look, a house!" She pointed, and the rest came to a stop beside her.

"That's where we're going," Faith said. Her teeth were chattering, it was cold and she wanted nothing more than to be out of the rain.

"Wait! Are we just going to walk to the front of the house, just like that? Don't we have to make sure they don't see us?" Anders asked in a confused tone.

"You think they can see us in this storm?" Faith shouted back at him.

"She has a point, Blondie," Varric practically yelled above the noise of the storm.

Faith arrived first at the door, then turned to Merrill, nodding her head. Merrill smiled back, obviously forgetting what she had to do.

"Merrill!" Faith hissed, then turned to look at Anders.

"What? Am I missing something?" Anders muttered, his eyes first on Faith then on Merrill. After a while they narrowed slightly. "Why are we standing around here? What are we waiting for?"

At that moment, the door creaked open, and Merrill suddenly remembered what she had to do. She hit Anders with a sleeping spell and he doubled over and fell, right in front of the woman who had opened the door.

"Um, hello. You must be the Seer," Faith said, smiling nervously. "We need your help."

The elderly lady blinked at the blond man unconscious at her feet then up at Faith. Then her eyes swept over the rest of them.

"Well, come in then! You aren't going to stand there until lightning strikes you, are you?" She said, shaking her head. "And close the door once you're inside. Don't want the place flooding with all this bloody water!"

...

Once they were reasonably drier and had carried Anders to one of the cots in the room, the Seer put more logs in the fire and turned to them.

"What can I do for you?" She asked briskly, then turned to Merrill, "I'd zap him with the spell again, if I were you. Looks like he's trying to come to..."

Merrill started and did as she was told.

"We're here because we want to ask you for your help," Faith began.

"So you said earlier. I assume this has something to do with your sleeping friend over there?" The lady said, as she sat on a chair near the fire.

"Yes. You see, we know you know about spirit possession," Faith continued, smiling at the elderly woman.

"That is correct," the old lady said, her light blue eyes twinkling. She turned her head and looked at Anders. "Ah. I can sense the spirit inside him now." The lady frowned. "He is angry."

"That's Justice. He's nearly always angry," Faith murmured. A flash of lightning followed by a burst of thunder made the group jump.

"I don't have enough chairs for all of you to sit down, but you can sit on the cots if you want," the old lady said.

"My name is Faith Hawke. That is Anders," Faith nodded towards her sleeping husband. "We're here because we want you to perform the ritual to -"

"Separate Anders from Justice, am I right?" The lady asked, pursing her lips.

Faith nodded, and the lady frowned. She sighed. "My name is Merinda."

"It can be done, right? I was told you are the only one who can do it," Faith wet her lips nervously, staring at the Seer.

"Oh, it can be done, make no mistake about it. But I don't think you truly know what is at stake here."

"What do you mean?" Faith asked, a tremor in her voice.

"There are risks. Are you prepared to face them?" The elderly woman replied, fixing her light blue eyes on Faith.

"Risks?" Faith's voice faltered.

"Yes. The ritual is long and painful."

"Oh. But we'll keep him sleeping, so, he won't really feel that much pain, will he?" Faith asked hopefully.

The Seer shook her head, her eyes now sad as they regarded Faith. "You don't understand," she said slowly. "The ritual is dangerous."

"Dangerous?"

"There is a small chance your man can die," the Seer whispered, her eyes fixed on Faith's. "Are you sure you want to go ahead with this?"

Faith blinked, her eyes falling on Anders's sleeping form. Merrill nearly forgot to zap him with her sleeping spell again, but managed to do it even though she was totally surprised by what she had just heard. Nobody spoke and it seemed to Faith that they were all holding their breaths.

"Yes," she said. "We didn't come all this way to turn back. I need the spirit to leave his body."

"Hawke," Varric began, and Faith turned to look at him. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Yes, Varric. Even if there is a small chance that he could die, we have to do this. Before he loses himself to Justice forever."

...

"I'll need his blood," Merinda said, still frowning at Faith. Faith nodded and produced Anders's phylactery. "So, he was one of the circle mages?" The Seer muttered, taking the small vial. She turned to the fire and put a pot over it, then set the phylactery on a table next to the fire. Turning back to the group she sighed. Anders stirred in his sleep, and the lady walked over to him. She muttered a few words under her breath and he moaned, but did not wake.

Merinda turned to Faith and walked to a cupboard next to the table. She took a leather-bound book from the cupboard and sat on the chair. Opening the book she began to read, oblivious to the group that was watching her closely.

The moments trickled by. Nobody spoke and the only sound in the room was the sound of Anders's heavy breathing and the rustling of paper when the Seer would turn a page. After some considerable time had passed, the old woman closed the book and fixed her gaze on Faith.

"I will explain the procedure to you, and you must listen carefully. There are two parts to the ritual. The first one is carried out in the Fade, where I must go with another person to fight the spirit. Once he is defeated there, I must lure the spirit to this world, using Anders's blood. This will allow him to manifest in his natural form, effectively separating him from his host. He will come because he thinks Anders is dead, because of the blood I will use to lure him, and because he is no longer in Anders's body. We must fight him when he comes. Even though he isn't in Anders's body, there will still be a sliver of him joined to Anders, much like a rope, a life-force. This tie must be severed during the battle. This is when Anders can die. I will try to keep him alive for the duration of the battle, but I cannot guarantee he will not die. Do you understand?"

"But I've been in the Fade with Anders. Justice was not separated from him. How are you going to get Justice out of Anders while we are in the Fade?" Faith asked.

"You must kill Anders in the Fade. The spell I cast - which is part of the ritual - will force the spirit out, just as you kill him. We will then fight the spirit in its true form, and I will revive Anders once we have defeated it. It is the only way. Do you understand?"

Faith nodded, her eyes already brimming with unshed tears. The Seer frowned, and her eyes grew tender as she looked at Faith.

"Once we return to the mortal world, we will fight him here. You two love each other, yes?" Merinda asked.

"Yes, we...he...is my husband," Faith swallowed.

"Then you must be the one to deal the final blow on Justice in the Fade and in this world," the Seer said firmly. "I will then cast the spell to banish it back into the Fade."

Faith nodded again. "I understand," she whispered.

"There will be manifestations of the spirit when he makes his appearance in this world. You must all protect Faith, for she is the one who must deal the final blow," Merinda turned to the group. "Is this clear?"

Everyone nodded, but Varric shook his head. "I don't like this, Hawke. It's too risky."

"There is no other way, Varric. Do you want to lose him completely to Justice? This has to be done. Especially since there is a way to help him with the Taint once Justice is gone," Faith said hoarsely. Varric nodded at this, his face troubled as he regarded his friend.

"We understand everything perfectly," Faith turned to Merinda, then she straightened up, her hands clenching and unclenching as she spoke. "Let's do this."

The Seer nodded. "Very well. Let us begin..."

...

Faith's hands tightened around the hilt of her daggers. She stood beside the Seer, ready to do the unthinkable. The landscape flickered in and out, yet the trees and bushes around them remained. She smiled to herself when she realized that only Anders could dream of this scenario. Only someone who had been trapped inside the circle tower for so long could love being in the outdoors as much as he did.

The Seer was muttering an incantation under her breath, apparently oblivious to where they were. A breezed ruffled Faith's hair and she turned to see Anders standing behind them. He smiled as he walked towards her. Faith's knuckles were white as she grasped the hilts harder, and her heart was pounding.

"My love, who is this?" Anders asked, while the Seer's voice got louder. He frowned as he gazed into her eyes, the confusion in his eyes making her want to scream out loud in agony. Anders's eyes shone blue as Justice took control.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, then brought one of her daggers to his neck. In one sweep she slit his throat and watched his eyes widened with horror, a hand going to his throat as he fell to the ground. The tears streamed down Faith's face as she gazed upon his inert body, the Seer still reciting her spell. The whole place changed before their very eyes as the wind howled around them. A great noise was heard, and something bright burst from Anders's body and materialized in front of Faith.

Faith blinked at the sprit before her. He had a sword and shield, and was wearing heavy plate armor, the helm covering his face completely. The whole being shimmered in a white light and he adopted a defensive position, sword in his right hand, while holding his shield up in front of him in his left.

"What have you done, mortal?" His voice boomed. "You will pay for this injustice!"

And Justice, the warrior, gave a bloodcurdling cry as he charged towards Faith.

...

The Seer and Faith woke, and Faith scrambled to her feet, daggers at the ready, while the Seer got up and took Anders's phylactery. Opening the stopper, she poured the blood onto the ground, and started chanting the spell. Varric brought Bianca out in front of him, while Isabela whisked her daggers out and Merrill her staff, all of them ready to fight.

Faith was still recovering from the battle she had just fought with Justice in the Fade. It had taken all her wit and speed to defeat the spirit but she had just barely done it. She gritted her teeth as she waited for Justice to materialize in the room. Her eyes fell on Anders's body on the cot. He was still fast asleep, but terribly pale.

A moment later, Justice materialized in the room. Faith got ready to attack him but he held out a hand in front of him.

"Stop, Hawke. I know what you are doing," Justice said.

Faith said nothing, but looked at the Seer. Merinda nodded and Faith relaxed, lowering her weapons a bit.

"You wish to talk?" Faith asked.

"I do. I find myself thinking the way I used to before I merged with Anders. You do not need to fight me." Justice turned to look at Anders for a few moments and then turned back to Faith. "I understand you wish to free Anders from me. It is only fair for him to have a chance to live a normal life. He has fought so much for it."

"You would allow yourself to be sent back to the Fade without a fight?" Faith sheathed her weapons, then looked up at the shimmering spirit again.

"I cannot continue to make Anders unhappy. He deserves to be free. I will go back to the Fade willingly." Justice turned to look at Anders again for a few moments. Then he turned back to Faith. "Please tell him that he - has been a good friend."

"I will." Faith's tears finally fell as she gazed at Justice. The Seer started to recite her spell, and Justice flickered for a few moments.

"You must sever the tie, mortal. Do so quickly so that I can be gone," Justice said sadly.

A sliver of shimmering light, much like a glowing rope stretched out from Justice directly to Anders's body. Faith nodded and unsheathed one of her daggers. She took a deep breath, then brought the blade down, cutting through the shimmering rope of light.

There was an explosion and a flash of bright light and Justice disappeared. The Seer continued to chant for a few more minutes. Faith rushed to Anders who was still pale and unnaturally still.

"Anders! Anders wake up!" She nearly screamed.

Fear gripped Faith's heart like a vise as she started to shake Anders. "Anders! Wake up, you bastard! Don't you dare leave me here!"

Merrill's hand flew to her mouth, and she started to weep silently. Varric shook his head and looked away, while Isabela just stared, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Faith turned to Merinda who was now extending her hands over Anders. "Why isn't he waking up?"

A soft, golden glow emanated from the Seer's hands, her voice rising above the noise of the storm as she chanted something in another language. A few moments later, Anders groaned and his eyelids fluttered.

"Anders," Faith whispered, smiling through her tears.

Anders opened his eyes and looked up at Faith, then held out his arms to her.

And Faith sobbed as she flung herself into his arms.

...


	58. Anders without Justice

_**Wow! Lots of awesome reviews! I was thrilled to read each and every one of them! Thank you so much BearMage, Tanyara, Freakitten, darkkchylde, xx Twilight Princess xx, sadiesadist, moosesaregreat, MB18932 and KnightOfHolyLight! A huge thanks to my lovely beta as well, LadyDarksbane! **_

_**So, this is the moment most of you (if not all) have been waiting for! :D **_

_**Bioware owns, and so on so forth...**_

Chapter 58 - Anders without Justice

Anders groaned. Faith was heavier than he remembered her to be. And he had a pounding headache that was making it difficult to think.

"Sweetheart, I - I can't," he whispered, his arms gently pushing her away. He saw her draw back in alarm, her sapphire eyes full of worry.

"What is it? What are you feeling?"

"I have a bloody headache, I can't -" Anders hissed, his right hand flying to his forehead. He tried to focus on the Veil, but he could not.

The Seer immediately stepped forward and held out her hand. Anders felt his headache lessen, until it was barely there. He gave a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, uh... not to be rude or anything, but who are you anyway?" He asked.

Merinda gave him a smile and shook her head, then wobbled over to the nearest cot and sat down.

"She's a Seer, Anders," Faith said, her eyes fixed on his face.

"Is she the woman who was kidnapped?" He asked, his hand covering his eyes for a few minutes. When Faith didn't reply he let his hand fall to his side and opened his eyes. She was looking at him with a guilty expression on her face. "What is it?"

"There was no kidnapping, Anders," Faith blurted out. "I told you there was so that you could come without knowing the real reason for coming. If you -"

"You lied to me?" Anders's voice rose an octave.

"Yes, well, I think we should head on back to the house," Varric interrupted nervously. "The storm is finally over and we should hurry before it starts raining again."

Anders sat up and the room started spinning. He groaned and his hands went to his head.

"What is it? Are you all right?" Faith immediately asked, her hands on his.

"Dizzy," Anders mumbled. He took two deep breaths, lowering his hands. "I can't believe you lied to me, Faith," he added. His warm, amber eyes were hurt as they gazed into hers. "Why?"

Faith lowered her eyes, her face suddenly flushed. She bit her lower lip.

"I didn't want to, but I had to! There was no other way to bring you here without Justice finding out!" Her voice was slightly raised.

Anders head started pounding again. He blinked at her, confused at what she had just said. "What in blazes are you talking about?"

"Don't you remember what Genitivi said? Because I haven't!" Faith shot back.

"You mean...oh!" Realization dawned in his eyes, and Anders knew. He felt kind of empty for one thing...lighter than ever...like he was himself again. His eyes flew to the Seer, who was looking at them with a half-amused expression. Her light blue eyes twinkled as they caught his amber ones and she smiled at him.

"Come on," Faith said gently. "Can you stand up, my love?"

"I - don't know, I have a headache again," Anders mumbled. The truth was that he couldn't even think straight, let alone voice how he felt.

"He will have a good headache that will last for a while. He will need to take elfroot potions. I have some here if you need them," the Seer said.

"No that's all right. I'm a healer, and I have some back home," Anders smiled. Merinda nodded and smiled back.

Faith walked to the Seer with some coins in her hand but the Seer shook her head. "I don't want coin. It's good enough to see him all right and himself again. I can imagine what you both have been through."

"I insist," Faith said stubbornly and when the Seer laughed and continued to shake her head, she put the gold sovereigns on the table. The Seer said nothing, but continued to look at Anders.

"Keep him in bed for a few days. He will be weak. Let me know if you need anything else," she said, her light blue eyes on Faith as she handed her an elfroot potion. Faith smiled and gave Anders the potion which he took quickly.

"We will. Come on, Anders; let's see how well you can stand."

...

The way back was slow, but they finally arrived home. Rilka and Fenris met them at the door, and they were relieved to see that they were all right. Anders groaned and they took him to the bedroom, where he collapsed on the bed.

"Can you heal him, cousin? He has a bad headache," Faith asked Rilka who immediately went to Anders's side. "Isabela, could you bring some elfroot potions from the clinic?" Isabela nodded and disappeared down the corridor.

"I wonder how he is going to take this. What has his reaction been so far, cousin?" Rilka murmured as she finished healing Anders, who was fast asleep.

"I can tell he is going to be upset because I lied to him. But I think he'll understand," Faith replied, biting her lower lip with worry. Rilka squeezed Faith's shoulder for a few moments then turned her attention back to Anders.

"Well, he's sleeping now, so we're going to go, cousin. If you need anything at all, just let me know," Rilka said, then left the room with Fenris.

Isabela returned with the potions, then she and Varric also left. Merrill smiled down at Anders then at Faith. "I think he'll be fine," she said cheerfully. Then she, too, left the room.

Faith sighed as she began to unbuckle Anders's armor. She was still worried about how he would react, but knew he had wanted this as much as she had, and this thought put her mind at ease. Once she had managed to get his leathers off, she made her way to the kitchen. Orana was still up and smiled when she entered the room.

"Orana, do you have anything to eat? Anders and I haven't eaten and I'm sure he'll be hungry when he wakes up during the night."

"Yes, Mistress, of course!" Orana bustled about, fixing a tray for Faith to take back to the room. "Master  
>Varric and Mistress Isabela were here before you." She smiled at Faith as she handed her a tray full of cheese, bread, two kinds of ham and some fruit, as well as a pitcher of cool water.<p>

"Thanks, Orana. Get some sleep!" She winked at the elven girl who giggled and nodded. Faith took the tray back to the room, put it on the table, and undressed for bed herself, slipping into her night clothes. She munched on a sandwich, her eyes on Anders all the while. Then she got comfortable on the chair and in spite of her struggles to stay awake, fell asleep soon enough.

...

When Faith woke up, Anders was wide awake, sitting on the bed and nibbling on some cheese and bread. Faith smiled at him but he did not return the smile.

"So, you managed to fool Justice," he remarked as he bit off another piece of his make-shift sandwich. "That was smart."

"I'm sorry I had to lie to you, but it was the only way."

"I understand." Then he paused, his eyes on her again. "I feel empty without him, but I suppose it's to be expected." His left hand shot out to grab hers. "I know we had to do this. Tell me how it went. Did he - was he -" Anders struggled for the right words, but fell silent, his eyes gazing at the wall with something akin to sadness.

"I went into the Fade to confront Justice. Do you remember that?" Faith asked, a tremor in her voice.

Anders shook his head. "I still have a headache, though it isn't as painful as before. It's keeping me from thinking straight. I can't remember a thing except us making our way up the hill and slipping on the mud."

"Well, I had to kill you in the Fade, it was the only way for Justice to come out. It was horrible," Faith's voice croaked. After a few minutes she stole a glance at him. He was looking at her with a sad expression on his face. He still was holding onto her hand, so she took a deep breath and told him all the details of the ritual and everything that had happened. When she was done, she looked up at him again. He was looking down at their hands, and frowning.

"I'm sorry, love. It must have been a terrible experience for you."

Faith swallowed, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"He told me to tell you that you had been a good friend," Faith whispered, the tears finally falling and streaming down her face.

Anders did not say anything, but squeezed her hand gently. Faith looked up and he pulled her towards him. She gave a cry of relief as he wrapped his arms around her.

"I don't like it that you lied. But I kept the truth from you before the Chantry blew up, so I guess we're even..."

Faith laughed at this and he kissed the crown of her head, one of his hands gently caressing her hair. "Now I'm - ugh...headache is coming back. Hold on while I try to heal myself, all right?"

Faith nodded and drew back, waiting for him to heal. Anders put his right hand on his forehead, frowning as he focused on the Veil.

Nothing happened.

Anders focused again, but felt no surge of magic, no mana building up. He tried again, but it was all in vain. He finally let his hand fall, his eyes worried as they locked on hers.

"I have no mana, Faith! I can't tap into the Veil! My magic is gone!"

...

The next few days were nothing short of a nightmare. Anders tried to tap into the Veil over and over, until he was exhausted. There was absolutely no mistaking his condition: he could not cast a single spell. He just couldn't do magic. At all.

He became withdrawn and taciturn, and the rest kept their distance. After a week had passed with no obvious improvement, Faith decided to speak to him about visiting the Seer. She hoped that Merinda might have a solution to the problem.

"Anders," she whispered, her eyes on him. He was sitting at the desk in the library room, and did not look up when she called his name.

"What do you want?" He nearly snarled and she flinched, taking a momentary step back. He sighed then, and looked up at her. "I'm sorry," he said in a sad voice, then looked down at the surface of the table once again.

"I think we should go and visit the Seer. Maybe she can help you?" Faith's voice sounded so hopeful, it stopped Anders from laughing at her suggestion.

"What could she do? It's like I've never been born a mage. There is nothing inside that is remotely tied to magic, Faith." He looked up at her, his eyes full of anger and hopelessness. "I'm a mage who can't do magic."

Faith shook her head, but pressed on. "I'm sure she can help you. At least she'll be able to tell us why -"

"Do you understand what this means? We can't even travel to Ferelden, because I can't defend you! I can't heal you if we are attacked and you are hurt! I'm useless!" Anders spat out.

Faith moved quickly to where he was, her hands on his face. Anders stiffened, but she looked deeply into his eyes.

"We'll get through this, my love. Merinda must know something. Let's go see her. Please?"

He sighed, leaning forward slightly, his forehead pressed onto hers. After a few moments he nodded. Then he kissed her.

It was the first kiss they had shared since the ritual and soon it deepened as Anders felt the heat overtake him quickly and his passion grew. He moaned into her lips and pulled her to him. She practically climbed on his lap, her hands digging into his blond hair.

The door was flung open and they flew apart, gasping for breath. An embarrassed Merrill stammered and stuttered something about a book. Anders smiled for the first time since the ritual and Faith smiled back.

Somehow she knew it was going to be all right.

...

Isabela walked into the sitting room. Varric was cleaning Bianca with a piece of cloth, whistling under his breath and smiled at her. She smiled back as she sat on a chair opposite him.

"So, can we lighten things up around here? I'm bored," she said in a longing voice, her lips pouting slightly.

Varric let out a bark of a laugh, setting Bianca down on the floor beside him. "What do you have in mind, Rivaini?"

"A game or two, and a prank to play on Anders and Hawke," Isabela purred. "Something to get their sense of humor back, so to speak."

"I like what I'm hearing so far," Varric chuckled.

Merrill scampered into the room at that moment, her face a bright red.

"What's happened to you?" Isabela demanded as she looked at Merrill.

"Oh! Oh, I ran into something I shouldn't have. In the library," Merrill stammered, her cheeks now a bright crimson. "Anders and Hawke and...oh, um..."

Isabela burst out laughing. "Well, I guess I'll scratch _that _off my list!"

"What list?" Faith's voice caused them all to turn towards the door. She was smiling and Anders, they were relieved to see, was smiling as well. He was also holding Faith tightly.

"Ah. I see that things are better already," Isabela chuckled.

"We're going to visit the Seer. Fancy coming along?" Faith asked.

Isabela stood up, and Varric did as well, strapping Bianca on his back. Merrill shook her head.

"I, think I have to -" she stammered but Isabela caught her arm before she could rush off.

"Come on, Kitten!" Isabela sang out. "You know you want to!"

Merrill found herself grinning at the pirate. "All right! Let's go!"

"That's my Kitten!"

As the five of them left the house and started to walk towards the Seer's cottage up the hill, a figure detached himself from one of the walls of the house and silently followed them, keeping out of sight.

...

"So this is temporary?" Faith asked the Seer, the hope in her voice echoing the hope Anders felt in his heart.

"Yes. Anders and Justice have been merged for years. The result of this separation could have been memory loss, or worse, but fortunately it is something like this. He has lost his magic, but it won't be forever." The Seer fixed her light blue eyes on Anders and continued talking. "I don't know how long you'll be this way, Anders. But if it helps, this very same thing happened to me."

"You were possessed by a spirit as well?" Anders asked, both surprised and amazed at this information.

"Yes. A spirit not as nice as yours, I'm afraid," the Seer replied, her voice sad. "But I think you could say that I learned how to vanquish it first hand, so to speak. I had help from my mentor, as well. She - has long passed away, but it's thanks to her that we succeeded that day, so long ago."

"How did you deal with it?" Anders shot out. "I feel so useless..."

"Ah, it was difficult, and more so since I was alone. You are lucky to have a woman that loves you at your side," the Seer smiled then briefly glanced at the rest, "as well as good friends. I wasn't able to cast spells for a long time, but during that time, I read a lot, and learned how to make new potions. I sold them to make a living, and kept waiting for the day when I could finally feel that my magic had returned. When it finally did, it came back in full force." The Seer then laughed. "That day I succeeded in scaring myself because I didn't know my magic had returned until I successfully froze the flowers I was holding without meaning to."

Anders grinned at this, his eyes a warm brown as he regarded her.

"Just be very careful. The path you walk is full of danger. You won't be able to leave as soon as you wish. But when you do, you will be in constant danger."

Anders and Faith looked at each other, then back at the Seer. For a few moments, nobody spoke, and then the Seer stood up, walking towards the pot of boiling water she had on the fire.

"Where are my manners? I'm making some tea and would love it if you joined me!" Merinda sang out, a smile on her face as she handed them each a mug of hot tea.

...

When they returned home, they were far happier than they had been in a while. After dinner, Faith and Anders disappeared and Varric, Isabela and Merrill stayed to chat to Fenris and Rilka. After a while, they fell silent and Fenris felt it was time for him to ask something that he had been wanting to ask since they arrived.

"So, this is temporary, is it?" Fenris seemed genuinely interested with the way things had turned out.

"That's what the lady says," Isabela smiled. "Though I have to admit, Anders is getting pretty good at fighting with daggers. I don't see why he's so worried about this at all."

Fenris snorted at this and Isabela frowned. Varric shook his head, a grin on his face. He knew what was coming.

"You don't believe it, do you?" Isabela asked, her smile suddenly turning into a wolfish grin.

"I don't," Fenris admitted. Beside him, Rilka shook her head silently, biting her lower lip to keep herself from bursting out laughing.

"Well, I'll bet you a sovereign Anders can successfully best you in a duel!" Isabela purred.

Fenris looked taken aback for a few moments, but then his eyes narrowed. "You're on. One sovereign he can't."

"Ha!" Isabela laughed. "Easiest sovereign I'll win to be sure!"

"Elf, you don't know what you're getting yourself into," Varric sighed.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. Everybody froze and turned to look at the door at once.

"Honestly, you'd think it was death by the look on your faces," Isabela muttered as she quickly recovered and walked towards the door. Flinging it wide open, she stood there - her lips parted in surprise, the words she was about to say dying on her lips.

"Isabela, my dear, I have long dreamt of this moment," Zevran smirked, his amber eyes twinkling in the half-light.

...


	59. Complicated

_**Thanks SO much darkkchylde, BearMage, xx Twilight Princess xx, KnightOfHolyLight, moosesaregreat, Sadiesadist, MB18932 for your awesome reviews! :D Thanks to all the people who continue to put this fic on their favorites as well! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 59 - Complicated

"What are your orders, my Commander?" The young recruit's voice interrupted Michael's thoughts and he turned to look at him.

"So no sign of them?" Michael asked instead of replying to the other man's question.

"No, Knight-Commander. They have disappeared, just like the others you have sent before them. Will you inform the Lord Seeker, or-"

"The Lord-Seeker is busy. Orlais is proving to be something of - a nuisance. We were given free-reign to do as we saw fit." Michael saw the young recruit frown. He understood. He had once been as young as the man before him. Like him, he had once thought the mages could still be saved and had to be protected. That was a long time ago. Too long. He understood now that they were all monsters.

"Yes, Ser," the young man replied.

Michael's eyes were on the recruit, but his mind was somewhere else. A smile slowly formed on his face, which grew into a grin. His eyes locked onto the other man's as he made up his mind.

"We'll go ourselves. See if they dare make us disappear. I know that the Champion of Kirkwall and her abomination must be in Llomerryn. I will not leave the island until I find and capture them both."

"Yes, Commander," the young man said automatically. For a moment, he held the Knight-Commander's eyes, but then he broke away, and looked past them, focusing on the wall opposite.

"We'll leave in a week. I'll be taking you and six others. Be ready." Michael barked, and the recruit saluted and left the room, leaving him with his thoughts.

Michael smiled. The Right of Annulment had been a walk in the park as far as he was concerned. It had felt good to kill the mages. The Circle was now free of the vermin that had once walked its halls. He turned to the fire, his eyes gazing into the flames as they leapt merrily about. Soon, he would be killing the very abomination that had blown up the Chantry in Kirkwall. His smile turned into a grin and he actually chuckled as his mind focused on other options.

After all, there were worse things than death...

...

Anders couldn't hold back much longer. He grunted as Faith reached her climax, the delicious heat of her walls squeezing him until he felt his release and let go. He continued to pound into her deeply until he was spent. Gasping for breath, he carefully rolled off her and automatically grabbed his tunic on the floor to clean himself, then turned his attention on her. She moaned as he cleaned her then settled onto his chest, sighing.

They did not speak for a few moments, catching their breaths. Anders was actually falling asleep when she spoke.

"We should continue to spar with each other. Practice makes perfect after all. Would you be well enough to do so tomorrow?"

"Mmm. Yes. I love sparring, sweetheart," his teasing voice shot back at her. Faith chuckled and shook her head.

"You know what I mean!" She protested, her hand swatting his chest playfully.

"Oh! I am wounded! Really, my love. Sometimes I think you don't know your own strength," he whined, but Faith looked up quickly and caught the twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh, you!" She said before he kissed her, which stopped her from speaking. As a matter of fact, she even forgot about the sparring.

"Mmm," Anders hummed into her mouth, his hands travelling around her back. "I think I want to 'spar' with you all day tomorrow as a matter of fact..."

"All day? What about food? You know...meals?" She replied, her voice husky.

"We can slip into the kitchen and coax a tray or two from Orana. Then we'll slip back here and continue with our sparring...until we fall asleep, exhausted from -" Anders stopped talking, as the screams reached his ears. "Uh. Is that Isabela's melodious voice I hear?"

Faith sat up then started to dress quickly, instead of replying. Anders did the same, dressing in a pair of trousers and a white shirt he took from a wardrobe in the room. They quickly made their way to the sitting room, where an irate Isabela was screaming at -

"Zevran!" Faith exclaimed, as Isabela drew her daggers.

"I - oh. Hello, Hawke," Zevran replied calmly. Then Isabela screamed and lunged at him.

He sidestepped her attack easily, jumping gracefully to the right, slapping her arse playfully as she passed.

"I'm sorry I cannot greet you properly, but as you can see, I have my hands rather full at the moment," Zevran said as he drew his daggers and parried Isabela's blows.

"What are you doing here?" Anders asked, his mouth gaping at the scene before him.

"I said I would return, no?" Zevran replied, whacking Isabela's backside again. The pirate let loose a series of colorful words which made Rilka blush and Zevran smirk.

"Isabela! Stop!" Faith yelled as she rushed towards her, grabbing her right arm.

Isabela stopped, turning to Hawke. Her eyes flashed as she spoke. "He disappears for five months! I worried he might be dead! No word from him at all! And now he calmly walks in, and expects me to welcome him with open arms?"

"I never knew you would be so worried, Bella," Zevran said, his eyes warm on the pirate.

"You! You -" Isabela huffed angrily, groping for the right words - no, insults - to fling at Zevran.

"I am truly sorry," Zevran murmured, stepping closer to Isabela. "I should have written, I know."

Isabela sheathed her daggers, finally getting a grip on herself, and then shrugged. "It doesn't matter, I suppose. Just let me know when you are leaving, so I can get away before you do."

"Ah, Bella. I am here to stay, if you'll have me," Zevran replied, his voice low and dangerous.

Isabela shook her head and left the room, unable to cope with the situation before her. Zevran turned to Faith, and smiled at her.

"I will have to go speak to her. I imagine we can talk tomorrow, yes?" Zevran told Faith.

"I'll show you to your room," Faith said, smiling at Zevran.

"My room?" Zevran inquired, his eyebrows shooting up.

"Trust me, you'll need a room. A _separate_ room," Faith replied. Anders did not say anything, but grinned.

Zevran turned to Varric and Merrill and said good night, then turned back to Faith.

"Lead the way, my dear friend," he murmured.

...

Merrill frowned, trying to fall asleep as she went over the whole day in her mind. She had caught a glimpse of the Dalish hunter who was following them closely and silently, but had said nothing to the group, choosing to remain silent so as not to worry them.

She turned on her right side, her eyes on the window in her room. Even though her room was on the second floor, she almost expected to see a figure. She shook her head slightly then pounded at her hot pillow, before she settled back on the bed, sighing miserably.

What did the Dalish want with her? Hadn't the hunters been perfectly clear about her when they had first arrived to Llomerryn? Merrill bit her lower lip worriedly then closed her eyes. She could see the whole scene unfold before her. Try as she might, she could not get the hunter's words out of her head.

_I don't have to answer your questions, shemlen. All I can say is that we know of this one. We will not let our keeper come to harm. Begone!_

Merrill frowned as the words pounded in her head. She reached into the Veil, calling forth magic to cast a simple sleeping spell on herself. Her eyelids heavy with sleep, she finally drifted off.

But the voice and the hunter himself continued to haunt her, even in her dreams.

...

The following morning, breakfast was a silent meal indeed. Rilka tried to make small talk, but failed miserably. Faith and Anders were so absorbed with each other, she might as well been speaking to the wall. Isabela munched on her breakfast as nonchalantly as she could, casting a practiced bored look in Zevran's direction from time to time. Varric ate and swallowed mechanically, keeping his eyes on his plate. Merrill picked at her meal, her eyes darting around the room every now and then. Fenris kept quiet, merely observing the rest.

Zevran cleared his throat, directing his words at Faith. "I must say I wasn't expecting you to settle here in Llomerryn so majestically, yes? Do you harvest the wheat?"

"We have workers for that. Rilka and Fenris take care of it," Faith nodded to her cousin, who was absent-mindedly stroking her growing belly softly.

"I want to congratulate you, of course," Zevran nodded at Rilka. "It is wonderful that you are with child."

"Thank you," Rilka beamed. "I still have a few months before we see our little bundle of joy."

"Around five more, to be exact," Fenris said proudly, squeezing Rilka's hand lovingly.

"Actually, four more," Rilka corrected him, her honey-brown eyes on Fenris as she squeezed his hand back.

Zevran did nothing, his eyes flickering to Isabela, who had been looking right at him. He smirked when she looked away quickly.

"I managed to eradicate the Crows rather well," Zevran chuckled. "Well, not quite all of them. But the newly appointed Guild Master no longer walks Thedas, stalking his victims. He has departed, something that greatly saddens me..."

"Yeah, right," Faith replied, grinning at Zevran.

"It is true! Now I won't have him following me around to kill me. I will miss him..."

Isabela snorted at this, causing Zevran to smile to himself.

"Oh, before I forget," Isabela said gaily, glancing at Fenris. "I was wondering how you were feeling, Anders. Fenris hasn't had a chance to see you spar, and I think he wants to spar with you today, just to see how well you can wield those daggers of yours."

Fenris started at the mention of his name and glanced hurriedly at Anders, who was looking at Fenris with wide eyes. At that very moment, Faith choked on her pumpkin juice, leading Anders to thump her gently on the back and lift her arms.

Faith coughed a couple of times then turned her attention to Fenris.

"I'm not sure you want to spar with him, Fenris," she began in a worried voice.

"I'm up for it," Anders said, his eyes on Fenris. Fenris frowned and turned back to Hawke.

"Oh, I won't hurt him," Fenris said, a smug smile on his lips. "I promise you that, Hawke."

"That's not exactly what I'm worried about," Faith shot back, casting a worried look on Anders, who now had a wolfish grin on his face.

Isabela actually cackled with glee, and everyone else in the room suddenly had huge smiles on their faces. Fenris actually felt the room lighten, the tension they had all been feeling earlier gone.

"No need to worry about me, Hawke," Fenris deadpanned. "You know what I can do."

"Um, yes. But so does Anders," Faith replied, the furrow on her brow now more pronounced.

Anders burst out laughing.

...

Alistair stepped into the throne room, walking quickly up the stairs to the dais. Alyssa was already there, her concerned eyes on him as she nodded towards the courier in the room who was kneeling, waiting for the king to acknowledge him.

"Rise," Alistair said keeping his voice steady. He nodded to Teagan, who gave a nod and walked to the courier, retrieving the message he carried. Teagan then handed it to Alistair, who opened the seal and proceeded to read the parchment. When he was done, he looked at the courier, then handed Alyssa the missive, turning to gaze at Teagan.

Teagan immediately knew what he had to do. He cleared his throat, and the courier turned slightly to face him.

"If you could just wait for our reply in the room the gentlemen will show you to, we'll have to discuss this, you see..."

"Of course, Messere," the courier replied. Bowing to Alistair, he turned and followed the guards out of the throne room. As soon as he was gone, Alistair turned to Teagan who was now reading the parchment. Alistair glanced at Alyssa for a few moments, before he fixed his eyes back on Teagan.

"This is not good. Tell me it's nothing to worry about?"

"Sorry, Alistair, but I think you know the answer to that. Orlais in a muddle - the First Enchanters fighting for their rights there. The Right of Annulment has been unleashed on the circle in Dairsmuid. No wonder Orlais hasn't attacked us. The Empress has her hands full."

"Yes, but the real question here is should we help her as she asks in this missive? I do not want to send an army to Orlais without knowing how bad it is there." Alistair frowned, his brow furrowed.

"Civil war is bad enough, Alistair," Teagan replied, his brow furrowed as well.

"I couldn't believe it when Leliana wrote three months ago, asking me to meet with the Divine. She didn't even ask about Fergus. Now I understand why she was so concerned about the Divine. This plot to murder her has revealed that the mages are truly rebelling. If only Anders hadn't gone and blown up the Chantry, maybe none of this would be happening," Alyssa sighed, deeply troubled.

"I don't know. Somehow I think this would have happened without the Chantry blowing up in Kirkwall. They say the Grand Enchanter has wanted the mages to rebel for a long time. She is actually the one stirring the pot, so to speak. She _wants_ the mages to fight the templars," Teagan said in a thoughtful tone.

Alistair nodded and was silent. After a while, he fixed his eyes on Teagan. "What do we do about the missive? Do we help Empress Celene, or not?"

"You know very well the Orlesians wanted to invade Ferelden, Alistair. But if we help her out, it would mean we secure our lands against any future Orlesian invasion, as the Empress would probably be extremely grateful to us." Teagan replied.

Alistair nodded. "I'll have the scribe write a reply then. I'll send off a hundred soldiers. I don't want to send more men with the way everything is in Thedas right now. I have a feeling we will need all the men we can get in the near future." The king then turned to one of the guards. "Please call in the Guard Captain. I want to speak to her as soon as possible."

"Yes, Your Highness," the guard bowed and left the room.

A few moments later, there was a knock on the door. Aveline marched in, and saluted, bowing to the king.

"Aveline, you will pick out one hundred of your men and train them. A civil war has broken out in Orlais, and Empress Celene has asked us for help. You will send them off to fight as soon as they are ready," Alistair informed the ginger guard, who started a bit upon hearing the news.

"Will I be leaving with them, Your Highness?" She asked, staring at Alistair.

"No. I need you close. Thedas is a troubled world right now. We will ready ourselves for war here in Ferelden," Alistair shot back, giving her a smile. Aveline relaxed though she had a confused look on her face.

"War, Your Highness?"

"Yes, Aveline. The mages have already started to rebel. The war between templars and mages seems imminent," Alistair said softly. "We will have to make sure we are ready when the time comes."

"As Your Majesty commands," Aveline replied crisply, bowing before she left the room.

...

The only sounds in the room were the grating sounds of metal on metal. Fenris swore softly to himself as he sped in the direction where he thought Anders was, expecting to throw him off balance and end the fight once and for all. He nearly slammed into the opposite wall, and found himself cursing. Where had Anders disappeared to? Turning to look around the room with wild, angry eyes, he found Anders behind him, waving at him with a grin on his face.

"Missed me!" Anders called out in a sing-song voice then chuckled. He knew very well what Fenris would do next. Years of watching him fighting had actually given him enough to parry his blows successfully so far and calculate what his next move would be. As he predicted, Fenris let out a snarl and swung the greatsword around for his next attack. But then Anders threw a smoke bomb at the elf's feet - a move that Fenris had not expected.

Fenris narrowed his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of Anders through the dark smoke surrounding him. After a few moments, he felt a dagger at his neck and Anders's voice in his right ear.

"How's that?"

Fenris stiffened, and threw his greatsword to the floor. "All right, mage. You've got me."

"No longer a mage, it seems." Anders's face darkened, as he released Fenris. He quickly made his way to the tables behind the dummies in the room, where he grabbed a towel to wipe the sweat from his face.

"I win!" Isabela chortled as she pranced around Fenris. "I win! I win! I win!"

Varric rolled his eyes. "We'll never hear the end of this. You know how she gets whenever she wins a bet."

Faith nodded, giggling and Fenris walked up to Rilka, his brow furrowed.

"Don't be such a grumpy person, Fenris. You lost the bet fair and square," Rilka teased.

Fenris scowled, but he turned and paid Isabela who was now laughing.

Zevran looked at the whole scene and then slid over to where Anders was standing.

"I can teach you a few moves myself, Anders. If you will allow it," he whispered, one of his eyebrows lifting suggestively.

"Sorry, Zevran, but Anders is very much taken, as you already know," Faith practically hissed as she grabbed Anders arm.

"Ah, my dear Hawke. I do know, and it pains me greatly," Zevran commented in mock disappointment. "Still, you cannot blame me for trying, yes?"

"He _is_ handsome enough," Faith beamed up at Anders who was grinning at her like a fool. "But I'll tell you what. We'll be sparring here every morning. You could come over and give Anders a few pointers."

"I look forward to it, my dear friend," Zevran inclined his head, a genuine smile on his lips as he regarded Hawke.

"And I have to say that sparring with my wife is most satisfying," Anders smirked, devouring Faith with his eyes. "In fact, I want to very much 'spar' with her right now."

"Ah, don't do this, my friends. Not while I am so very lonely," Zevran said sadly, giving Isabela a furtive look.

He caught her smiling softly to herself, and smiled, pleased at her reaction.

The pirate shook her head, walking out of the room, a smile still playing on her lips.

"It will be hard work, but I think I will get her to forgive me, no?" Zevran mused, turning to Faith.

Faith chuckled, her eyes twinkling. "I think she's already forgiven you, Zevran. The real question here is how long will it take for her to finally realize this."

...


	60. Unpleasant Surprises

_**Thanks SO much MB18932, wheresilent, BearMage, KnightOfHolyLight, xx Twilight Princess xx, sadiesadist, LadyDarksbane, moosesaregreat and Kanafire for your fantastic reviews! I LOVED them! Thanks to my wonderful editor LadyDarksbane for her wonderful editing on this chapter as well! **_

_**Sorry I took a bit longer to update, I've been having some health issues. **_

_**Bioware owns everything! I just play with the characters... ;) **_

Chapter 60 - Unpleasant Surprises

A couple of days passed, without any major incidents. Anders and Faith set up sparring practice every morning and kept to it. Zevran was always around, making it a point to teach Anders a few things about surprise attacks. Faith taught him the Vendetta move, which really was simple: throw a smoke bomb on the ground to confuse and stun your opponents and rush in front of or behind the enemy you are targeting, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. It was similar to the backstab move, except for the fact that the target was usually far from where you were actually engaged in a melee fight.

Anders learned quickly and focused really well on improving each day that passed. In truth, he had always been a fast runner to begin with, and had an eye for correctly predicting what an opponent would do. He was actually proud of himself, and Faith had to admit that the sparring practice kept him occupied and away from the depressing thought that his magic was gone.

Zevran constantly flirted with Isabela. Soon Isabela was smiling more than ever, and Zevran was wearing a perpetual smug smirk on his face.

Merrill wandered around the farmhouse for a few days, looking really worried. She usually ended up in the sparring room, however, but seemed lost in thought whenever she was around.

"What's up with her?" Isabela asked Faith quietly one crisp summer morning.

"I don't know. She sure is acting strange," Faith replied, her eyes narrowing slightly as she focused on Merrill. "I think I'll meet up with her after lunch. Maybe I can help her solve whatever problem she is having?"

Isabela nodded. "Just make sure you don't bring Anders with you."

"Why should that be a problem?" Faith asked.

"Really, Kitten. I can't believe you're asking me this." Isabela rolled her eyes, and then sighed. "Just think, a mage who can't do any magic. I'd be on the safe side. Merrill could mention a spell or two, she usually doesn't think before she speaks. The last thing you want is a depressed Anders by your side, am I right?"

Faith smiled. "You actually do have a point. Besides, Merrill would probably be more likely to tell me what's up if I'm the only one there."

"Good. I see your common sense is back where it belongs," Isabela snorted.

"Ah, two lovely women that happen to be having an interesting conversation," Zevran interrupted. "What would it take for you to share with me?"

"Don't you have more important things to do, like - teach Anders how to parry shield bashes or something?" Isabela commented, her cheeks tinged with pink.

"More important than looking at your loveliness? Hardly," Zevran retorted, his warm golden eyes fixed on Isabela.

The pink color on Isabela's cheeks was now seeping to the rest of her face, and turning a shade darker. Faith smiled. It was really funny to see Isabela blush like that, because blushing was not something Isabela did. Ever.

"I may have a job for us, actually," Isabela said, ignoring Zevran completely...or at least pretending to.

"A job? What fun!" Faith chuckled. "Haven't had one of those lately."

"I know you don't really need the money, Hawke, but most of us here _do_ need some coin, you know."

"Point taken, Bella. What's the job?" Faith grinned.

"A nice one for a change. I ran into a couple of old friends back at the 'Better than Ever'. Looks like one of them has had a family heirloom stolen by a couple of bandits."

"I can't believe there are bandits in this place. I thought all of them were raiders?" Zevran asked.

"No, not all of them. Bandits live in the wilderness, mostly in caves or wooden forts they build for themselves. They only prey on the people travelling along lonely roads. Things must be really bad for them to come into the city and break into a house," Faith mused.

"I'd like an opportunity to test my new skills. On dangerous people who attack us, I mean," Anders commented, slipping his arm around Faith's waist.

"Exactly!" Isabela grinned. "And now that Anders is here and has voiced his interest in the job, can I safely assume you'll be coming along, Hawke?"

Faith rolled her eyes, but could not keep herself from smiling. "Well, when you put it that way, how can I ever say no? Besides, what could possibly go wrong?"

...

Faith crouched behind the rock, her eyes on the three men. Anders, Zevran, Isabela and Varric were also crouching, waiting for her instructions.

"So typical. A cave. The Maker has a grand sense of humor," Anders whispered darkly.

"What's so horrible about a cave?" Isabela whispered.

"It's underground," Anders retorted.

"Remind me to ask you about that sometime, Blondie," Varric said, a smile on his face.

Anders scowled back at him. "It isn't pleasant, so...no. I don't think I'll ever tell you."

"Aw. I guess I'll have to make it up, then," Varric whispered back.

"Don't you dare put that into your story, Varric!" Anders's angry voice shot back.

"Will you two shut it? You'll ruin our surprise attack!" Faith admonished.

But it was too late for warnings. The three men had heard them and had already unsheathed their weapons.

"Fuck!" Faith exclaimed. Turning to Isabela, she gestured at the pirate and Isabela nodded. Zevran had seemingly disappeared into thin air, but Faith knew he was probably circling to get the bandits from behind. "Bella, we need a distraction!"

Isabela smiled coyly. She bent down and began to put dirt on her face, arms and shirt. Then she quickly added grass and leaves on her hair. Pausing to give Faith a wink, she slithered to the nearest rock, then stood up. "Help! Help! They're after me!" She cried, tears streaming down her face. One of the men put away his weapon and started to walk towards Isabela, who fell on her knees. The other two maintained their defensive positions and stared open-mouthed at the whole scene before them; Isabela seemed to have that effect on people.

Faith turned to Varric, who already had Bianca locked and loaded on one of the men. She then turned to Anders. "Take the other one... I'll help Isabela with the idiot who is standing in front of her. On three..."

"Wait, you mean one, two, and three - attack...or one, two, and attack on three?" Anders asked.

Faith rolled her eyes. "One, two...three!" She then rushed into the fray, just in time to see Isabela slash the man in front of her. Varric let loose a volley of arrows that instantly killed not only the bandit he was targeting but the one next to him as well. Zevran appeared out of nowhere and neatly performed a backstab at the already wounded third bandit, who was trying to fight Isabela.

They stood at the entrance of the cave for a few minutes, catching their breaths.

"Well!" Faith smiled. "That was easy. Alright, let's go get that family heirloom."

...

When they had successfully killed all the bandits, they grabbed the jeweled necklace and left the large cavern. Anders gave a sigh of relief once they were outside again. He took in a breath of fresh air and smiled.

Faith smiled to herself then tensed. There was a rustling in the bushes ahead. Varric unsheathed Bianca and pointed directly at the place the noise had come from, while Isabela and Zevran both unsheathed their daggers.

"I mean you no harm, shem," a voice called out from the bushes. A while later, the Dalish hunter that had first told Merrill to stay away from their keeper emerged from the bushes. "I must talk to you urgently."

"You made yourself perfectly clear the first time we met you," Faith scowled, her hands on the hilts of her daggers. "What is it you want now?"

The Dalish hunter nodded. "I will not talk until your kind has put away their weapons."

Faith turned to her group and nodded to them, and they all reluctantly sheathed their weapons but remained alert. Faith turned back to the hunter. Crossing her arms in front of her she waited, her eyes fixed on the Dalish man.

"I'm listening," she said through clenched teeth.

"I have a message from our keeper. She wishes to speak to the traitor," the Dalish hunter said.

Faith felt the anger bubble inside her. "How is it that Merrill is a traitor? I killed Marethari myself. She had turned into an abomination and was trying to kill us all."

"She left her clan, and destroyed the keeper with her foolishness. But I do not expect you to understand our ways. I have delivered the message. The keeper is expecting her." The man nodded curtly and made a gesture with his hand at unseen people behind him. Only then did Faith realize he had been accompanied by others. She kept her eyes on him as he disappeared silently into the bushes.

"I take it Merrill is in trouble, then?" Varric said, as he looked up at Faith, concern written in his eyes and on his face.

"I won't let them do anything to Merrill," Faith said fiercely. "We should go with her and protect her."

"Do you know how many people we'd be up against, love?" Anders said softly.

"I don't care! Merrill is family, and I won't let her be harmed!"

And with that comment, Faith turned and walked off in the direction of the farmhouse. Anders looked briefly at Isabela and Zevran then turned to follow her.

...

They left the farmhouse again two days later, Merrill silently walking next to Faith as they searched for signs of the Dalish camp. They camped near a spring and a nearby waterfall on the third day of their search. Anders and Zevran gathered wood, while Isabela, Faith and Merrill set up the tents. Varric surveyed the perimeter of the camp, Bianca close at hand.

When Anders and Zevran returned with the wood, they started a fire. Isabela and Merrill started cooking dinner, which consisted of a couple of rabbits they had managed to hunt and kill earlier that day.

Faith smiled as Anders's arms went around her, pulling her into an embrace. "Love you," she murmured against his chest.

"Now that's something I will never tire of hearing, sweetheart. I love you, too," Anders whispered back.

"Let's tell stories," Isabela's voice rang out, while Zevran smiled at the pirate. She turned to Varric who looked back at her quizzically.

"What?" He immediately asked Isabela.

"You're the storyteller here," Isabela shot back.

"And this is enough for me to constantly yak in front of a fire?"

"Oh, Varric, we all know you are dying to tell a story. Please spare us the false modesty," Isabela chided playfully.

"Well, when you put it _that_ way, who can refuse?" Varric gave them all a toothy grin. Faith settled herself comfortably against Anders and Zevran scooted over closer to Isabela, taking her hand in his. The pirate did not protest and looked quite pleased. Merrill's huge green eyes fixed themselves on Varric as he lowered his voice to a whisper and began his tale. Soon they were eating the cooked rabbit and drinking a bottle of wine that Isabela mysteriously produced. When dinner ended, Faith suggested Zevran, Varric and Anders take first watch, while the girls would take second watch.

"Be careful, I don't think we are alone," Faith murmured to Anders.

Anders nodded and kissed her good night, watching her as she disappeared into their tent.

...

The templars looked down at the dead raiders lying at their feet. Michael scanned the area, but there weren't any more of them around as far as he could tell.

"Knight-Commander, what are your orders?" One of the younger templars asked.

"We'll get some rooms for the night at the inn over there," Michael smiled. "I'm sure the innkeeper or the patrons there could probably give us some news of our quarry."

"No signs of any more raiders, Ser," another templar said, after having been sent to look around and scout the area.

"Good. Soulless lot, these raiders. We may have to do some purging while we are here," Michael sneered.

A shadowy figure detached himself from one of the walls on the far end of the docks. Without being seen, he quickly ran to the warehouse building, slipping silently inside.

Petros gave a sigh of relief. He was safe for the moment, but dared not tarry. After glancing behind him making sure he had not been followed, he quickly made his way to the office where he knew Soreikos and Lysander would be.

This group of templars must be stopped. They were stronger and better prepared that the previous templars that had been sent, not to mention the fact that there were more of them this time around.

Petros knocked on the wooden door and went inside. Lysander and Soreikos both looked up at him and their eyes grew wide when they saw his disheveled appearance.

"We're under attack, Soreikos," Petros blurted out. "Templars, seven of them this time. Better prepared. They killed Matthew, Samuel and Orkos. I managed to get away."

Both men blanched visibly at the news. Soreikos was the first to recover.

"Where are these templars?" Soreikos asked quickly, his jaw clenched.

"They've gone to the inn. I heard their leader say they would try to get information from the innkeeper as well."

"Information?" Lysander echoed, with a sinking sensation in the pit of his stomach.

"They're here for Hawke and Anders, Lysander. And now I think they want to obliterate us as well."

"Do they now?" Soreikos commented with a wolfish grin. "Well, we'll just have to see what happens won't we?"

...

_**A/N: Paws, Faith's mabari, is alive and well, only not with the group, as Faith left him in Kirkwall. You will find out where he is in a future chapter, don't worry! :D **_


	61. Dalish, Templars and Raiders

_**Thanks so much BearMage, wheresilent, sadiesadist, Kanafire, MB18932, LadyDarksbane, darkkchylde, xx Twilight Princess xx, moosesaregreat and KnightOfHolyLight for your fabulous reviews! I LOVED them! Thanks to my friend LadyDarksbane for editing this chapter: you totally rock, darling! :D **_

_**Here's the next chapter, hope you like it! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything! **_

Chapter 61 – Dalish, Templars and Raiders

I woke up early that morning and smiled. The birds were singing outside and I was feeling refreshed for a change. The day held some promise.

As I washed and dressed, I received the image of travelers. I smiled when I saw one of them had the Dalish markings. It was then that I knew who the travelers were. I glanced at my staff before strapping it securely at my back and left the aravel. Stepping outside, I took a breath of fresh air and saw that it was a sunny morning. The sounds of my people readying themselves for the day reached my ears. There was laughter and song, and I smiled.

The day held promise…

I was greeted by my First and gave her a smile as I looked upon her with real affection. She was like a daughter to me after all. My First quickly informed me that there was no change. I nodded at her and smiled again.

"I could go with you if you want," Dana whispered.

I turned to face her and shook my head. She gave a half-bow, half-curtsey and I smiled as I turned to face the Tevinter ruins.

We had arrived here months ago, driven by my dreams and visions. My eyes scanned the decrepit building and I took a deep breath and walked inside.

As my eyes grew accustomed to the dim interior, I felt a tremor take over my body. I composed myself and walked along a corridor, full of statues and dust and debris. When I reached a stone door I stopped, tilting my head to listen.

The sounds that reached my ears were soft and distant. I recognized the voice of my First calling out to my second-in-command. I smiled and forced myself to focus on the door in front of me. I stood absolutely still, listening for anything on the other side, but there was nothing there. Taking a few steps, I opened the door and stepped inside the room.

Closing the door beside me, I turned to face the object that towered over the room on a dais up a set of stone steps. All the sounds coming from outside ceased as soon as I shut the stone door and my eyes focused on the stone steps first and then the thing on the top.

I took a few steps closer to the stone steps, my gaze fixed on the object. I knew it knew I was here, and it waited silently for me to take closer steps. But I stopped at the bottom of the stone steps as I had done so many times before and just looked at it.

"Keeper," my First said, stepping into the room, leaving the door open before her. I had not heard her enter and started. She apologized but I held up my hand, shaking my head and turned to smile.

"What is it, da'len?"

"They are here, Keeper," Dana replied, and her large blue eyes looked up at the object for a few moments before fixing them on my own.

I smiled and nodded, then turned to look at it again. It seemed to understand what was being said, and I could feel a ripple of excitement emanating from it. A small gasp escaped Dana's lips and I knew she had felt it too.

"Let's go, da'len. There is much to do," I whispered.

"Yes, Keeper."

I left the room with her following me closely behind. But as I closed the door, I could feel the object demanding I stay, the things inside it whispering in my brain. I shook my head firmly and focused on leaving the ruins.

But I knew that the Eluvian would not release its hold on me. Not yet, anyway.

…

Michael frowned down at the small boy, his sword pointing at his throat. Behind him, the innkeeper trembled as two of his men held her arms firmly.

"I won't repeat it again," Michael's melodious voice filled the room. "Where is the healer?"

"Don't hurt him, you monster!" Mistress Patross exclaimed.

Michael turned his attention to the innkeeper, a wolfish grin on his face. Mistress Patross struggled briefly but the two templars who held her captive only held her tighter. Her eyes looked into Michael's, a mixture of fear and loathing in them.

"I do believe we have a heretic in our midst," Michael murmured.

The templars holding her did not move, and Mistress Patross trembled as Michael took a few steps in her direction. The small boy trembling on the floor attempted to speak.

"Please, Ser," he whined. "Let Mistress go… I'll do anything you ask me to do."

"Too late, I'm afraid," Michael purred. He stood very close to the innkeeper, and then turned to the small boy. Without warning, much like a snake striking out, he turned around quickly, his sword plunging deeply into her stomach.

The woman gave a gasp, her eyes widening. Michael twisted the sword once, and then quickly withdrew it and Mistress Patross slithered to the floor.

The boy began to cry and Michael turned to him, a wolfish grin on his face.

"Now then, what is it you said? Anything I want?"

…

"Andaran atish'an. I am Keeper Tanneera."

"Andaran atish'an, Keeper," Merrill at once said, bowing low.

The Keeper smiled and her bright green eyes focused on the rest of the group briefly before fixing themselves on Merrill again.

"I see you have not lost your respect for the clan. Rise, da'len," the keeper said quietly.

Merrill did what she was told and waited for Tanneera to speak.

"And you are?" Tanneera fixed her eyes on Faith who had taken a few steps forward to stand beside Merrill.

"My name is Hawke, Keeper," Faith replied, her eyes flashing momentarily. "I just want to make it clear that I will protect Merrill with my life, if necessary." Behind her, she could hear Anders's sharp intake of breath.

Keeper Tanneera smiled at Faith for a few moments then turned to Merrill. "To see how your friend is willing to give her life to defend yours speaks a lot about her and you, da'len." The Keeper then addressed Faith," She is lucky to count you as a friend. But I do not intend to harm Merrill."

Faith scoffed at this, and Merrill turned to her, her eyes full of fear and surprise. "No, lethallan, don't," she whispered, shaking her head.

"Yes, let's anger the nice Dalish elves, why don't we?" Varric drawled behind them.

To Faith's surprise, Keeper Tanneera laughed, a soft, musical sound. Nevertheless, Faith still eyed her warily.

"Forgive me if I don't believe that. We were ambushed by some of your hunters who made it clear that we were to keep away, especially Merrill, and threatened afterwards," Faith snarled.

"I am sorry about that. It was before I had the vision," Tanneera replied.

Faith did not reply to this, but her eyes widened slightly. The Keeper smiled again, then gestured them to follow her.

"Come sit by the fire. We will eat and I will tell you why you have been summoned here afterwards. Please," she pointed at wooden benches and Faith and her group walked to them and sat.

They ate in silence, briefly glancing at each other from time to time. Zevran, in particular, would not keep his eyes off the hunters who walked around the benches from time to time. When they were done the keeper stood up and bade them to follow her. They had seen the Tevinter ruins as soon as they had arrived, but they had focused on the keeper for the time being. Now they regarded the dilapidated building before them as the keeper stood silently looking at the entrance. She bowed her head, her brow furrowed in thought, and turned to the group once again, her eyes on Merrill.

"Please. Come with me. It will be easier to explain that way," she said, her musical voice carrying over to each and every aravel in the camp. Dana quickly walked up to the keeper as soon as she had spoken those words and stood beside her. Faith and her group did not move until Merrill nodded and followed the keeper and Dana into the ruins. Anders grabbed Faith as she moved to follow them.

"What were you thinking, love," He whispered urgently, a hint of anger in his voice. "Offering up your life so easily like that?"

"Nothing happened, Anders," Faith whispered back. "Don't worry."

"'Don't worry,' she says," he shook his head, frowning.

"Let's just follow them, love. Please," Faith whispered, her eyes briefly darting to the entrance of the ruins.

"All right. But you and I have a lot of talking to do once we get back," Anders retorted.

…

As soon as Michael and his men stepped outside the inn, they were ambushed by raiders. Michael cursed to himself as he fought, for he had not even considered that this would happen.

The raiders were swift and skilled and no match for his templars as they were slow in their heavy armors and vastly outnumbered. Michael watched in horror as his men dropped dead to the ground, one by one, until only he remained. One of the raiders, a man in full armor, stepped forward and ordered the men to apprehend them. Michael sneered at the man, who he correctly guessed was the leader as they bound his wrists. The man gave him a wolfish grin and barked orders to his men to dispose of the bodies.

"You will not get away with this, Serah! I shall personally contact the Lord Seeker himself of this massacre here. You will pay for this!" Michael screamed.

Soreikos burst out laughing. As soon as he could speak, he took a step forward, coming to stand directly in front of Michael. "You can't inform anyone if you're dead, now can you?"

Michael paled, and Soreikos nodded to Lysander. A cloth bag was put over Michael's head and the raiders half-dragged him into a building somewhere. He heard doors opening and closing, and sounds of dripping water somewhere around him. Then after a long time, they seemed to have reached their destination, for they stopped. Michael heard the creak of an iron door opened, then he was flung forcibly to the ground and the cloth bag was yanked off his head. His eyes blinked as he looked around.

He was in some kind of prison cell, the stone walls covered in grime, the stone floor full of rat droppings. He stood up and glared venomously at the leader who was smiling down at him.

"Now, then. Would you mind telling me what the fuck you are doing in my city, you filthy templar?" Soreikos asked pleasantly, a smile on his face.

"That is none of your concern," Michael snarled.

Soreikos nodded at Petros, who approached Michael and unexpectedly punched him hard in the stomach, then kicked him in the groin. Michael let out a scream and fell to his knees. Soreikos waited patiently till Michael stopped groaning, a dangerous smile on his face.

"Let's try this again, shall we?" Soreikos asked quietly. "What the fuck are you doing in my city?"

"I came here for a fugitive and his companion," Michael whispered hoarsely. "Nothing to do with you heretics."

Soreikos hand shot out and he yanked on Michael's hair, so that the templar was looking up at him.

"Nothing to do with us? I believe you are lying, templar. One of my men survived your attack when you first arrived," Soreikos sneered, his face dangerously close to Michael's. He let go of Michael's hair, a look of disgust on his face. "I know exactly why you are here, you filthy templar. Too bad for you…"

Soreikos nodded to Petros and Lysander this time. They stepped forward and roughly stripped Michael of his templar armor, leaving him in his smalls. The cold, damp cell caused Michael to shiver, but he did not take his eyes off Soreikos and continued to glare at him insolently.

"I think you need some time to yourself," Soreikos whispered, now grinning wolfishly. "To think about what you have done. We'll wait for your two fugitives in the meantime. I'm sure they will be overjoyed to see you." Then, he turned and walked out of the cell, shutting the door behind him and locking it.

Michael heard the lock and groaned, his head in his hands. How could he have been so stupid? He sat down on the stone floor, leaning against the stone wall, gritting his teeth. He did not know how long he was there, but sometime afterwards dozed off.

Back at his office, Soreikos quickly asked Lysander to accompany him and headed towards the inn. He nodded at two of his men, who were bending over Mistress Patross. They looked up and stepped away, so that he was able to kneel in front of her. A small boy, whom he recognized as Athros, was crying in the corner.

"We managed to give her an elfroot potion, Ser," one of his men whispered. "But she has lost a lot of blood. We need a healer."

Soreikos frowned as he looked down on the innkeeper, who was unconscious. All he could think about was the fact that Anders was not a healer any longer. Besides, he knew that Anders and Faith were not in the city. His brow furrowed.

"Go to the Hawke farmhouse. Ask Rilka to come," he asked Lysander.

Lysander nodded and rushed out of the inn. Soreikos turned to Athros and smiled kindly down at him. "Don't worry, lad. I'll do my best to save her. I promise."

…

"I know what happened with your keeper, da'len, but I would like you to tell me the whole story," Tanneera said, her eyes on Merrill. They were standing in front of a large stone door at the end of a corridor.

Merrill nodded, her huge green eyes a bit glassy as she started speaking.

She told her about the Eluvian and how the keeper asked her to stay away from it. She told her about how her clan rejected her. She told her how she had resorted to blood magic in order to try to fix the mirror and she told her of the spirit that had responded. She told her about Keeper Marethari's sacrifice and what she had done to help her. Merrill was weeping, now, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Keeper Tanneera waited for her to finish then nodded, smiling kindly at Merrill, who continued to weep.

"Do not cry, da'len. You have done something terrible, but I see now that your keeper's death could not have been avoided. Tell me, are you still using blood magic?"

"No, Keeper. I stopped using blood magic years ago," Merrill trembled, her huge, watery eyes on the keeper.

"That is good. Let me tell you why you are here, da'len. I had a vision a few days ago. In my vision you were helping me fight a darkness. A darkness that is emanating from an object. I believe that you are crucial in helping me with a relic that I thought lost to us," Tanneera said quietly.

Merrill wiped her tears away and blinked at the keeper, a confused expression on her eyes and face. The keeper smiled.

"I know you are confused and do not understand. Maybe when you see it, you will understand. Come with me," Tanneera said, and turned, flinging the stone door open and walking into the room.

The rest followed her into the dimly-lit room. As soon as their eyes had adjusted to the gloom, Faith let out an audible gasp, while Merrill stood still, her mouth slightly parted in surprise.

Anders eyes followed Faith's, who was looking up at something. He felt the evil even before his eyes caught sight of something at the top of some stone steps. He frowned. The rest were shocked into silence, while Zevran peered up interestedly at what they were looking at.

There, at the top of the stairs, towering majestically over the room, stood a golden-framed mirror, its surface black as ebony, but reflecting part of the room nevertheless. Zevran blinked. Whispers suddenly filled the room.

"What the fuck?" Faith eloquently cried out.

Anders silently agreed, his eyes locked on the Eluvian. What the fuck indeed.

…


	62. The Staff of the Enlightened

_**Wow, thank you so much for your awesome reviews BearMage, wheresilent, sadiesadist, Kanafire, MB18932, LadyDarksbane, xx Twilight Princess xx, moosesaregreat and KnightOfHolyLight! I love reading your feedback guys! :D A huge thanks to my lovely friend LadyDarksbane for proofreading and editing the chapter for me! You totally rock, darling! **_

_**Sorry about the mess when I uploaded the previous chapter – fortunately I was able to fix it! :D **_

_**Bioware owns EVERYTHING, I swear! I just play with the characters, hehe. **_

_**Happy Easter! :D **_

Chapter 62 – The Staff of the Enlightened

The keeper eyed Faith curiously before turning back to Merrill, who was still gazing awestruck at the mirror.

"You see, Da'len. We have to destroy the evil coming from within. I have managed a spell to hold whatever is inside from coming into the world. But I cannot keep it at bay for much longer. Will you help your people with this?"

Merrill bowed down low, ready to accept. Faith gave a snarl and stepped forward.

"The Eluvian nearly consumed Merrill back in Kirkwall. It killed Marethari! Surely you do not expect her to accept?"

The keeper took a step forward, coming to stand directly in front of Faith. "I see your concern for Merrill, Champion. But I cannot let this evil continue. If it is not stopped now, it will find its way into our world. I can feel this evil wishes to destroy everything. Would you be able to live with yourself if this were to happen?"

Faith faltered, but turned slightly to look at Merrill. Behind her Anders tensed again as he sensed Faith would protect Merrill anyway, whatever the outcome.

Merrill had a smile on her face. But it was the look in her eyes that made Faith suddenly wish they were still travelling and not in Llomerryn, for Merrill's eyes were full of hope and anticipation.

"I will help as much as I can, Keeper," Merrill blurted out, which made Faith hiss in annoyance. But Merrill did not even turn to look at Hawke.

"This is good, Da'len. But in order to do help us, you must be properly equipped. You must go on a quest to let 'The Staff of the Enlightened' find you. Then you will be prepared to face the evil within the Eluvian."

"'The Staff of the Enlightened'? I never thought it really existed, Keeper. I thought it was just a tale, Haren Paivel told us around the campfire," Merrill murmured, but loud enough that the rest heard her.

"All stories carry some truth," Tanneera responded, looking at Merrill tenderly. "Sometimes we forget that our tales carry more truth than the rest."

"Where do I start my search, Keeper?" Merrill asked with a smile on her face.

"The staff is somewhere in these very ruins. They are vast and very old. Many dangers lie within. The staff will find you if you are worthy," the keeper replied.

"What do you mean the staff will find her?" Faith demanded, her eyes narrowing slightly.

The keeper kept her eyes on Merrill, choosing to ignore Faith's question, which annoyed her even more.

"You will know when you see it," the keeper said. "It will come to you. Not everyone can go into the ruins. Only the closest to Merrill can accompany her."

"We are all close to her," Faith said sternly.

"We shall see about that," Keeper Tanneera replied. "These ruins are full of magic. Further down the corridor is a door. When you open it and try to pass through, the magic will keep out those who are not close to Merrill. I can do nothing about it. The spell was cast a long time ago by our ancestors. It is old magic that cannot be broken."

"I understand, Keeper," Merrill bowed low again.

Faith stepped forward. "I also understand. But I still think this is a suicide mission you are sending Merrill on. I will go with her to make sure she is protected."

"There you go again," Anders whispered behind her, a hint of annoyance in his voice.

"We shall _all _go," Isabela spoke up. "Merrill is dear to all of us."

"That is not for me to decide," the keeper calmly said. "The old magic will decide who goes and who does not."

"Wonderful. Well, let's just go and see what happens, then," Faith said quietly.

"Somehow, I get the feeling I shall be left out," Zevran added sadly.

…

The door was a normal stone door. As far as Faith could tell, there was no magic to it, but what did she know anyway? She wasn't a mage after all.

Merrill turned to Faith, smiling at her. "See, Lethallan? Things are going to be all right now!"

"I don't know, Merrill. I have a bad feeling about all this. Who knows what is in these ruins?" Faith shook her head.

"I can help my people. I will finally be a part of a clan. It is what I have always wanted," Merrill smiled again.

Faith frowned. The look of hope and happiness on Merrill's face was good to see, but she was too concerned with the dangers inside the ruins to even smile back at her.

"Let's just open the door and see what happens," Faith said quietly.

Merrill turned the handle that creaked ominously. The door swung open. A corridor stretched into the darkness ahead, and the group stood there silently, unable to speak for a few moments.

Without waiting for the group, Merrill took a few steps and crossed the threshold, entering the room first.

Faith took one step and Anders's hand caught her wrist. "Just where do you think you're going?" He practically hissed, his eyes dark with worry.

"We have to help her, Anders. You know this," Faith replied, looking up into his eyes.

Anders looked at her quietly, and then sighed when he saw the determined look on her face. "We go together, then." He nearly whispered. Faith nodded.

They stepped through the door holding hands. There was a whooshing noise, and the door lit up for a few moments, but they were able to walk up to Merrill who smiled at them both.

"My turn, Kitten," Isabela murmured, stepping into the room. The same whooshing noise was heard by all and the whole place lit up again, but nothing else happened.

Varric and Zevran remained on the other side. Zevran turned to Varric a smug look on his face. "I think I know what to do, my dear dwarf."

"I'm not your dear dwarf," Varric shot back. "But I'll listen to what you have to say, elf."

"Let us both step inside together. I truly think that the magic will let you pass. It will possibly not register me because I'll be invisible," Zevran chuckled.

"You are trying to fool ancient magic?" Varric replied, shaking his head. "Somehow I don't think it's going to work. Just a hunch..."

"We'll see," Zevran replied smugly. "I'll disappear as soon as you walk forward. In truth, I will be walking by your side, but unseen. It's a good plan, no?"

Isabela rolled her eyes at this. "Well, whatever you do, hurry up!" She called out to them. "Time is wasting!"

Varric muttered something under his breath and shut his eyes. He then started to walk towards the door. At that moment, Zevran disappeared from view. As Varric passed through the door, they all heard the whooshing noise again. Then, Zevran gave a cry, materializing before their eyes as he was flung backwards into the room where they had come from. Isabela frowned and ran to the door, thinking of helping Zevran who was groaning on the floor, but she was stopped by an invisible barrier.

"What the fuck?" Isabela practically growled. "Zevran! Are you all right?" She called out in a worried tone.

Zevran picked himself up, groaning. "I am all right, Bella." He smiled and she relaxed. "But it seems I was right. I won't be accompanying you."

"We'll be back soon," Isabela replied, then turned to Merrill. "Right?" She asked her anxiously.

"I – I don't know," Merrill replied, her voice shaky. "I don't even know where and when we'll find the staff."

"It's all right, _cara mia_," Zevran shouted from where he was standing. "I will be here waiting when you return. Just stay safe, yes?"

Isabela nodded and turned to face the rest of the group. Merrill smiled and started her walk down the dark corridor.

"Underground soon, I'm sure," Anders muttered. "Tevinter really loved building underground chambers."

"You have got to tell me about your underground problem, Blondie," Varric whispered audibly as he followed the rest.

But Anders shook his head and caught up with Faith, determined to shield her from harm if it were necessary.

…

Michael opened his eyes. He heard the door to his cell open and stared up blearily at Soreikos. He had not slept at all and was too hungry to even speak.

"Here," Soreikos put down a tray with a bowl of stew and a pitcher of cold water before him. "You will eat and drink and we will talk while you do so."

Michael pounced on the stew and gobbled it up. He then poured himself a glass of water and stared up at Soreikos, who was looking at him with a furrowed brow.

"I have nothing to say to you," Michael said after drinking a full glass of water.

"That is very unfortunate," Soreikos muttered. "I want to know if anyone else knows the Champion is here, and what is happening in Dairsmuid."

"I do not really care about the Champion," Michael shot back. "She can rot here in Llomerryn."

Soreikos pulled him angrily up by the front of his shirt and slammed him against the stone wall. "You will do well to respect the lady," he growled.

Michael grinned at this. "I see she has you wrapped up around her little finger," Michael snickered. "She must have spread her legs wide open for you if –"

His words were cut off as Soreikos punched him in the face, a stormy look in his eyes. Michael chuckled, but kept silent, his eyes fixed on Soreikos's.

"You will tell me about the Circle tower," Soreikos said through clenched teeth. "And you will tell me whether or not the rest of the templars there know about Hawke."

"We care only about the apostate that blew up the Chantry. But we will use the Champion to capture him," Michael spit out.

"Do the rest know you are here? Answer me!" Soreikos shouted.

Michael burst out laughing. Soreikos let him go and sighed.

"Very well, you leave me no choice. You won't be getting food and water for the next few days. Then we'll see if you talk," Soreikos said coldly, turning to let himself out of the cell. Michael eyes followed him as he locked the cell door behind him. As soon as the raider left, he sank back to the ground with a groan.

The truth of the matter was that nobody had known where he and his men were going. He hadn't told anyone in the Dairsmuid Circle of his plans. He sighed. Even if he escaped, he knew he would have trouble getting back. He had no money for the raiders had taken it all and he didn't have neither his armor nor his sword and shield with him, which was worse.

He'd have to come up with a plan. If he managed to escape, maybe he could find his way to the room where they kept his things. That would be the only viable option to take.

Michael groaned again and buried his face in his hands. For the first time in his career he felt fear, and it was not a good feeling at all…

…

The group had been walking for some time when they came upon a door. Merrill paused, looking at it. They had seen no other doors along the corridor, so she hesitated in opening it.

"The only way is through here, Merrill," Faith said quietly.

Merrill nodded, and took a deep breath. She stepped forward and pushed the heavy iron door open. The room beyond was bathed in an unearthly glow. Instantly she unsheathed her staff, while the rest unsheathed their weapons. Taking a few tremulous steps forward, she suddenly stopped as a feeling came over her.

"What is it, Kitten?" Isabela asked behind her.

"It feels wrong," Merrill murmured back.

"What do you mean, 'wrong'?" the pirate shot back. But Merrill merely shook her head, her eyes darting around the room nervously.

"She means the room is pulsating with magic," Anders spoke up, gripping his daggers tightly. "I can feel it."

"Great," Faith sighed. "I always love what magic conjures up. It's so refreshing," she added sarcastically.

Merrill took a step forward, as her eyes still darted around the apparently empty room. She spotted an opening at the other side of the room, but did not walk towards it.

"They are watching," Merrill whispered.

Faith was about to ask who, when suddenly three arcane horrors materialized in the middle of the room. "Oh, look! Arcane horrors! My favorite!" She called out, rushing to the nearest one. She did not stop but rammed into it, sending it flying backwards. Anders cursed behind her and performed a vendetta move to backstab the arcane horror next to the one that Faith was happily fighting away. Varric sent out a volley of arrows and Merrill quickly released a powerful sleeping spell on the arcane horrors.

Isabela rushed from one to the next, slashing out furiously. As soon as they managed to defeat the horrors, three revenants materialized in their places. Faith groaned.

"Why do the revenants always appear with the arcane horrors?" She yelled, performing a backstab movement on one of them. The revenant hissed at her, but in spite of being injured, fought back, bringing his sword down on Faith slowly, who did a neat little side-step and quickly brought one of her daggers to its ugly neck, slashing it. One down, two to go!

"They're like buddies, aren't they?" Varric replied grinning, as he fired his shots at the revenants.

Anders performed a summersault and got back up on his feet, attacking the revenant that was trying to decapitate Isabela. Faith, meanwhile, focused on the other remaining revenant, her daggers a blur as she slashed at its rotten armor.

Merrill focused and sent out a tempest spell that electrocuted the two remaining revenants. The smell of charred flesh and armor remained in the air, but the revenants lay dead on the ground.

"Well, at least we got through that lot," Faith grinned, trotting over to Anders who was frowning. "Where's your victory smile?"

"Sweetheart, I'll smile when Merrill finally has that blighted staff and this is over," Anders replied.

The group made its way to the back of the room. They stepped through the entrance and found themselves in a huge room full of sarcophagi and littered with white bones here and there.

"Don't look now, everyone, but I think we'll be attacked by the undead," Merrill shouted, her staff at the ready.

As soon as Merrill had finished talking, the undead came forth from their tombs, filling the room.

"I wish Paws was here. He loves biting into these things," Faith grimaced, adopting a defensive pose.

"We'll just have to get him back, love," Anders whispered next to her, a smile on his face. The corpses growled and closed in on them.

"Piece of cake, this," Varric chuckled as he fired Bianca. His arrows slowed the enemy down and he quickly shot more arrows at the nearest corpses, pinning them down. "How many have you got so far, Hawke?"

Anders, Isabela and Faith fought their way through the horde. When they had finally dispatched the enemy, they stood in the middle of the room catching their breaths.

"Anyone need an elfroot potion?" Anders offered passing bottles around.

"We'll need to stop to get something to eat and drink and rest for a bit before we continue," Faith said, sitting on the ground. She opened her backpack and produced bread and cheese. The rest sat close to her and each took a piece of bread and cheese to eat. They all drank water from their water skins as well.

"There are three doors over there, this time. Which one do we go through?" Faith asked Merrill.

"I'm feeling a pull from the door in the middle, Hawke. I think it's because we should go that way," Merrill replied, her eyes fixed on that door.

Faith nodded at this. "I'm ready when you are."

"Then we'll go now, lethallan. The sooner the staff finds me, the faster we will be able to return to the keeper," Merrill replied quietly.

"What do you mean by the staff finding you, Merrill?" Faith asked curiously.

"The tale of the staff is beautiful. It is said that the staff will appear before the person who can wield it. It is a very powerful staff that can vanquish evil in the right hands." Merrill pursed her lips.

"What do you mean, 'in the right hands'? Is there a possibility that the staff could be wielded by others, then?" Faith inquired.

"No. But anyone with magic can wield a staff. This staff will give that person power. If this person is the one who must wield it, then it will do a lot of good. But if it is someone else, then…the power will corrupt both the person who wields it and the staff," Merrill said slowly.

"And how do you know you are the right person to wield it, Merrill?" Faith asked with a worried frown.

"I don't. I merely believe the keeper and the lore. That is the way it should be, lethallan."

"No pressure," Anders deadpanned. "No pressure at all…"

…

They had been walking in and out of rooms now for the past few hours and were frustrated. The staff didn't show any signs of appearing at all, and Faith was growing impatient. They had been attacked by more undead, arcane horrors and revenants along the halls and chambers, and their elfroot potions were quickly depleting.

"We need a healer," Merrill observed. Her face fell when she saw the anguished look on Anders's face.

"Um, Daisy, could you not mention that fact again?" Varric said in an audible whisper. "Blondie is already feeling guilty enough."

"I'm sorry, Anders," Merrill said contritely. Anders gave her a small smile.

"It's all right, Merrill. Besides, what you said is true. We'd be in a much better state if I could apply a healing spell to everyone in the group."

"Meanwhile, do you all realize there are no doors and openings leading anywhere else in this chamber? Looks like we've reached the end of the ruins," Isabela commented.

"I don't understand," Merrill sighed. "The staff should have found me by now."

"Maybe you aren't supposed to wield it after all?" Faith asked hopefully. "Then we can all just go back to the farmhouse and eat a hearty meal."

"There has to be an opening or door we've missed!" Merrill exclaimed.

"See for yourself, Kitten. Nothing in the walls at all," Isabela replied.

"We must be missing something then! A lever or maybe a switch? Let's look around," Faith said.

"There's a chest against the right wall," Isabela smiled, her eyes lighting up. Faith smiled. If there was a chest around, Isabela was sure to be the first to spot it.

They followed Isabela to the chest and watched as she brought out her lockpicks to try to get it open. After a couple of clicks, the chest finally opened. There was nothing inside but a key inside which glinted for a moment in the dim half-light.

"Oh," Isabela said, the disappointed look on her face making Faith smile again. "Why would we need a key? We'll just have to turn back to get back to the entrance, that's all. No locked door that I can see even if –"

She was interrupted by Faith who cried out suddenly. "Look at that! On the ground! A trapdoor!" Faith bubbled with excitement, walking to the right side of the room quickly.

"And I'll bet the trapdoor is locked, too," Anders smiled.

Isabela gave Merrill the key and Merrill knelt down and fit the key in the lock. The lock opened and Merrill took a deep breath and flung the trapdoor open.

"What's inside?" Anders asked, keeping away from the opening. The fact that the door led down to the underground was enough for him to stay away.

"A room of some kind," Merrill replied. "I'll have to go down to see." Using her staff, she called for a light and was able to go down the wooden ladder. Faith grabbed Anders's arm.

"Are you all right?" She whispered tenderly to him.

"I guess what you mean is 'we have to get down there, and please come with me', right?" Anders retorted nervously.

"Can you come with me, love?" Faith asked, her eyes fixed on his.

"It's all right, Anders. It's only this one room, more like a small cave actually. And we'll keep the trapdoor wide open, I promise," Merrill called up to him.

Anders took a shaky breath. "All right. But I'm staying right next to the stairs."

They all went down the wooden stairs to stand next to Merrill, who was looking around the whole room. The room was full of symbols and writing carved into the walls. Merrill took some steps until she was standing right in the middle of the room.

At that moment, the earth began to shake. The rumbling that accompanied the shaking caused the group to cling to each other, while they looked around in fear. Merrill was the only one that remained where she was, quiet and calm.

After a few moments, the ground in front of Merrill slowly started to ease itself open. Something was breaking through the earth. The ground continued to shake, and the opening grew - the thing now recognizable to everyone in the room. It was clearly a staff, a clear white stone at the very tip. The white stone was glowing and pulsating as the staff eased out of the ground, hovering directly in front of Merrill and brightly illuminating the area around it.

Merrill smiled and she stepped closer to the staff. The wood that was holding the white stone was intricately carved with elven writing and symbols. It was a rich, brown color and looked very strong. Merrill grasped the wooden staff tightly and felt it sing, as if meeting a long-lost friend.

"The Staff of the Enlightened," she whispered reverently.

The ground stopped shaking and Merrill strapped the staff onto her back, next to her old one.

"We must go back to the keeper. She will be waiting for us," Merrill said, her eyes on Faith.

Faith nodded quietly, and turned to the stairs. Her eyes found Anders's for a moment. He smiled and took her hand.

They all walked up the stairs and back to the entrance of the ruins, where a very happy Zevran hugged Isabela as soon as he saw her. Isabela looked pleased, but then pushed him away scoffing. "What's all the hugging for? Nothing was going to happen to me, you goose!"

Nevertheless, when they finally left the ruins and walked back to the Dalish camp to find the keeper, Isabela kept a soft smile on her face, while Zevran stayed as close to her as he could.

…

_**A/N: You are probably wondering why Anders is having such a hard time with his claustrophobia problem when he didn't before. Well, Justice is no longer around, so that extra courage that Anders once had is gone and he isn't as reckless as he used to be. The other significant change would be that he will be experiencing more darkspawn nightmares, now that Justice isn't around to keep them at bay. **_


	63. Through the Looking Glass

_**Thanks SO much darkkchylde, wheresilent, xx Twilight Princess xx, Kanafire, LadyDarksbane, MB18932, sadiesadist, and KnightOfHolyLight for the awesome reviews! I love reading your feedback! Thanks to my beta, the lovely LadyDarksbane for making this chapter easy to read as well! :D **_

_**As you all know, Bioware owns everything! I just play with the characters…**_

Chapter 63 – Through the Looking Glass

Merrill spent the day talking to the keeper, while Anders, Isabela, Zevran and Varric set up camp among the Dalish aravels.

Faith busied herself getting supplies. She also bought a lot of potions, for she was determined to help Merrill defeat the evil in the Eluvian. She was putting away the potions in her backpack when a shadow over her made her stop and gaze up.

"You and I have to talk, my love," Anders said, his voice soft and tender. Faith smiled and patted the ground beside her.

Anders sat in front of her and fixed her with a concerned stare. She pretended to be wrestling with some buckles, but she really was trying to stall the conversation for she knew exactly what was on Anders mind.

After a while, she felt that she would have to just let him talk and get it over with. He was too stubborn to let it go. She glanced up at him and crossed her hands on her lap. She smiled at him as she waited for him to speak.

"What's really bothering me is that you insist on facing life-threatening situations, love," Anders began, his eyes full of concern.

"I've always been that way, my love. You know this," Faith replied softly.

"Yes, but it was different before," Anders replied, taking one of her hands in his. "I – I could _heal_. Now, I can't…"

"Anders, please stop worrying. I won't die, I promise," Faith grinned.

A flush of color came to Anders's cheeks. He shook his head, his eyebrows knitted together, and his brow furrowed. "Andraste's knicker weasels, Faith! This is serious! You _could_ die and I can't save you!"

Faith immediately put her hands on his face, drawing closer. She leaned over and gave him a kiss, which he returned with passion. They ended the kiss at the same time, breathing heavily. The look on Anders's face was enough for Faith to press her forehead to his, murmuring words of love and comfort.

A few moments later, Anders shuddered slightly, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "My love," he whispered. "I can't protect you, please; you have to be more careful. I beg you…"

"I promise you I will, darling," Faith whispered back tenderly. She hesitated - then continued speaking. "This is why we haven't gone to Ferelden yet, right?"

Anders blinked back, and then he nodded. "I can't think of making that journey with you. We don't even know what the situation is like in Ferelden. Are the mages fighting the templars there? And the mage-templar war isn't the only danger we have to worry about."

Faith nodded. She sighed and her brow furrowed as she thought about it all. Then she bit her lower lip.

"I wish there was a way for us to know what's happening out there. Varric's contacts are very slow, and aren't always reliable."

Anders nodded miserably, hardly listening to what she was saying since he was worried about their trip into the Eluvian.

"We'll just have to focus at one thing at a time, love. And right now, it's the bloody Eluvian that we should be thinking about."

"Oh, I'm sorry if I'm interrupting," Merrill said in a shaky voice as she walked to where they were sitting. "But I have to deliver an important message. We're to leave for the Eluvian early tomorrow."

"Thanks for letting us know, Merrill," Hawke responded, giving Merrill a sweet smile. Merrill smiled back and nodded.

"I think I'll just leave, Lethallan - I still have to go tell the rest."

…

He should let her sleep. They were going into the Eluvian first thing in the morning and they all needed the rest.

Yes. He should let her sleep.

His eyes focused on her relaxed body, hungrily tracing the contours of her luscious curves. Her hips, her perfect breasts. He licked his lips, and smiled - his eyes now golden as lust overcame him completely.

It was too late to turn back.

Pausing only to secure the flap of the tent, he crouched then knelt on the floor, inching closer to her.

She sighed in her sleep, and he had to bite into his lower lip to keep from groaning, the bulge in his smalls tightening ridiculously. Frowning briefly, he pulled down his smalls and stood up to take them off completely. Then he busied himself with the buckles that held his leather armor in place. He did not stop until the armor was on the ground and he stood naked before her, his erection quivering, a drop of pre-come on the tip.

Taking in a breath of fresh air, he hissed, kneeling before her again. Very slowly, he got close to her. His eyes were on her face as he memorized it once again, then he brought his hand to lightly caress her cheek. She muttered something in her sleep and smiled.

He couldn't take it any longer. Giving a half growl, he captured her lips in his, savoring their sweetness.

Her eyes flew open, and then grew warm when she saw him. Her arms shot up to embrace him. Her hands fluttered to his hair where they entangled themselves. Their kiss became more passionate, and his hands started to slowly undress her as she snaked her tongue into his and playfully nipped his lower lip with her teeth.

He worshipped her body; his hands and mouth making her buck and moan with pleasure, until he finally thrust his erection inside her.

Their bodies were slick with sweat. He opened his eyes to look at his goddess, and shut them again when she shuddered; her wet walls tightening around him.

They moved in unison, finally together, and their hearts sang. They were old friends getting acquainted again…loving each other again.

His thrusts gradually quickened - his pulse was racing. She rose up to kiss him again and again and their passion grew, until they reached their peak. His moan was interrupted by her lips, as she devoured him hungrily, until she also moaned his name.

They were spent, but they were together. And they knew they would remain together.

This time, there was no turning back.

"I love you, Bella," Zevran whispered, his hand caressing her hair lovingly. "I will never leave your side again."

And Isabela smiled and closed her eyes, wishing for a few moments she could tell him how she felt, but she could not.

Isabela could not bring herself to say the words that described how she felt…she could not give into the feeling that burned her and kept her heart beating. She could not express how much she loved him in words.

But Zevran knew. He understood.

She trembled as she lay on his chest and it wasn't long before he fell asleep, holding her closely.

Isabela fell asleep still wishing she could say the words she knew he was longing to hear.

But she could not…

…

Keeper Tanneera smiled at Merrill. "You must talk to your friends, da'len. You must tell them what they cannot do."

"Yes, Keeper," Merrill murmured, inclining her head briefly.

"What we cannot do?" Faith echoed. She was puzzled and at the same time she felt a pang of uneasiness.

"The Keeper found an ancient text next to the Eluvian. It describes what to expect within. Well, it doesn't describe everything, but gives a general idea of what to expect," Merrill said, her words tumbling out quickly.

"And what is it that we will find on the other side?" Anders asked with a pang of uneasiness himself.

"Eluvian are portals into another realm. That much I knew. But the text the Keeper found next to this one suggests that there are portals leading to other times and places. We must not go through these, for if we do, we will not be able to return," Merrill explained.

"The text does not explain how to return if you go through another portal?" Faith frowned.

Merrill shook her head, her green eyes fixed on Faith's sapphire ones. "No, lethallan. It does describe how to return but in order to do so you must know our language to recite the spell. Since the portals are random, you cannot know which spell to recite so it can become complicated. The best thing we can do is fight the evil on the other side in _Setheneran_."

"What is…_sethe_…_sethe…neran_?" Faith stumbled over the elven word.

"It is the place on the other side of the Eluvian, Lethallan. A land of waking dreams, full of things that confuse. We must not interact too much with them, for if we do we can become trapped in this land. The Veil is thin there."

"Just another walk in the Fade, then," Anders sighed.

"Yes, but we will see portals appear around us surrounded in a dark blue light. We cannot go through them, or we will be lost forever."

"What is this evil we are going to fight?" Faith asked next.

Merrill faltered for she did not know the answer. Keeper Tanneera took a few steps until she was facing Faith directly.

"It is a very powerful demon, Champion. One that is deceiving in nature. It will confuse and take other forms. Do not let it overpower you. Do not let it bend your will. It seeks a body to possess and will not stop until it does. It must not cross into our world," the keeper explained.

"Ah, just another demon," Zevran grinned.

"No. Not just another demon. It is an ancient evil from the past. It is more dangerous than any of the demons you may have encountered. This one is extremely intelligent and will seek to outwit you. Do not underestimate it," the keeper frowned, her blue eyes full of concern. "It is not to be taken lightly."

"And it will try to possess mages, like any other demon, right?" Faith inquired.

"Mages and elves alike, da'len. But if it cannot take their bodies, then it will seek the humans as well," the keeper replied.

"Then I'm last on its list," Anders said to Faith.

The keeper turned to Anders, her frown deepening. "You think you are safe? Merrill told me what happened to you. It will seek to possess you first, along with Merrill. You are a mage, just like Merrill is. In _Setheneran_, you will be able to cast spells as you used to. In _Setheneran_ you will take your true form."

The keeper sighed sadly. She turned to look at each of them as she spoke. "It will try to deceive you. Remember that everything you see is not real. Do not trust your eyes. You must use your heart to see. When it discovers that it cannot possess anyone, it will change into its true form. It is a monster you have never before seen and very powerful. You must kill it and return. I will stay here to help you come back when you have succeeded."

"How will you know whether or not we have succeeded if you are staying behind?" Faith asked.

The keeper smiled. "I will know because I will be watching everything. I will be with you in spirit."

Faith smiled back at her and nodded. She turned to Merrill. "I'll follow you then, Merrill. We all will…"

Merrill smiled back at Faith and turned to the keeper. "We are ready, Keeper."

"Then go, Da'len. _Dareth shiral_."

…

When Faith stepped into the Eluvian, she felt a heaviness that she thought would choke her. Then she took a deep breath and stepped even further ahead, her eyes taking in the area around them.

They were standing in what seemed to be the Wounded Coast. It was ridiculous since Faith knew they were far from the place, but it looked exactly like it. She could hear the seagulls crying in the distance, and felt a pang of homesickness. She shook the feeling off, and turned slightly to glance at Anders.

Anders was staring at something, his mouth half open. Faith frowned. A mist was slowly rising from the ground. It twisted around their ankles covering the ground fast, and it continued to rise steadily. Instinctively, she stood closer to Anders, who was now breathing heavily as he struggled to control himself. Whatever he was looking at had greatly disturbed him.

"It's not real, love. It's _NOT_ real!" Faith told Anders firmly.

Anders turned to look at her, a frown on his lips. He looked at her then back at whatever had captured his interest. A cry escaped his lips.

Merrill, who was standing in front of Faith, suddenly gave a cry. "Keeper! Keeper, please! I don't want you to do this!"

Faith took a step forward. "It's not real, Merrill! That isn't the keeper!"

"It's not…" Merrill frowned, unstrapping the Staff of the Enlightened quickly. Faith turned to look behind her. Both Zevran and Isabela had already unsheathed their daggers and were standing ready to fight. As far as she could tell, they were not seeing things yet.

Beside her, Anders gave a cry. "Mother!" He screamed. "Don't listen, don't listen!"

"Anders!" Faith cried out firmly. "That is not your mother. It isn't real. Look at me!"

Anders turned to face Faith. The anguish and torment on his face caused Faith to embrace him. "It's not real, love. Your mother isn't there, I promise," she whispered into his ear.

Anders tightened his hold on her and then nodded. "Step away, love. I must face my monsters and win." Faith looked up to him and nodded. He grimly focused on whatever was in front of him and lifted his arms which glowed blue. Lightning sprang forth from his hands as he flung it at something on the path ahead.

At the same time he was dealing with his vision, Merrill was casting a sleeping spell on the area directly in front of her. She then cast Winter's Grasp on the same area. Faith squinted through the mist that was now swirling around them and thought she saw an outline in the ice. It vaguely reminded her of Keeper Marethari.

The mist was now enveloping them completely. Faith had to call out to Isabela, Zevran and Varric to make sure they were still behind them.

"Maker's breath! Don't you mages know a spell to make the mist go away? Some of us like to see, you know!" Varric complained.

Faith smiled. At least Varric still had his sense of humor. She wondered if this demon would want to possess him. She didn't think dwarves fell into the possessed category anyway. In fact she was certain dwarves didn't even know what the Fade was like.

"I can dissipate it using the Staff," Merrill said, her voice shaky. With a wave of the Staff of the Enlightened, the misty tendrils slowly disappeared, until some of it only remained on the ground.

"Where do we go from here, Merrill?" Faith asked, hoping to keep her busy so that she could forget her ordeal for a moment.

"I – I don't know, lethallan. Let's just follow the path for now."

They had been walking on the path for some time, when Zevran gave a cry behind her. "Rinna! No!"

"It's not real, Zevran! Don't give in!" Faith cried out, glancing at Isabela, who was standing still, her eyes glazed over.

"Hey, Rivaini! Wake up!" Varric called out, stepping closer to the pirate.

"It's not real, Isabela. It's not happening!" Faith quickly said.

"I won't be used. And I won't let you beat me up this time, you dog!" Isabela snarled and jumped forward, her daggers slashing out at something in front of her. At that moment, Zevran slipped to the ground in a dead faint.

"Zevran!" Faith cried out, rushing to his side. The elf was having difficulty breathing and his eyes were wide open, staring at something above him.

"Anders! Help him!" Faith nearly screamed. Isabela quickly rushed to Zevran's side, while Anders knelt over him as well, calling forth healing magic to cure him.

"Rinna," Zevran whispered feverishly, as Anders worked over him. "I shouldn't have killed you, Rinna."

"Faith…" Faith stiffened, slowly getting up. "Faith…" the voice again called. She slowly turned behind her and a gasp escaped her lips. Standing directly in front of her was Malcolm Hawke.

"Not real," Faith whispered to herself. "You're not real…"

"I _am_ real. You've seen me before, when you needed me the most. Why do you doubt that I am here, when I have sworn to protect you in the Fade?" Malcolm smiled.

Faith did not hear Zevran recovering. She did not know her companions were aware that she was now walking towards the edge of the cliff. Anders swore under his breath and hurried forward to grab her arm.

"Faith, it's not real. It's not real," he whispered into her ear.

Malcolm Hawke shimmered and for a few moments he disappeared slightly, but then reappeared.

"Your mother is here, sweetheart. Your sister and brother are here as well…" Malcolm waved a hand and the figure of Leandra Hawke dressed in the putrid wedding gown, just as she had looked before she died, suddenly appeared. A cry escaped Faith's lips. Next to her she could see Bethany, showing signs of the Blight and a wounded Carver, all bloody and torn. Faith started to cry quietly.

"You should have gone looking for me sooner," Leandra said in a cold voice. "You should have found me before the madman did this to me."

"I trusted you," Bethany rasped out. "But you didn't get me help. We should have gone looking for the Grey Wardens. I would still be alive…"

"You let that ogre tear me apart. Look at my wounds!" Carver yelled.

"No! This can't be happening!" Faith cried.

Anders wrapped his arms around her. "It isn't happening, my love. It's not real. It's the demon!"

Faith gazed into Anders's eyes, but could still hear them approaching her. Giving a cry that sounded like a growl, Faith unsheathed her daggers, lashing out at the figures that were coming closer. Once she had slashed through, they all disappeared, and she fell to her hands and knees, breathing heavily.

Anders gathered her into his arms and murmured words of love to soothe her. After a few moments, she fell asleep in his arms.

"This has been a tiring experience for all of us," Merrill said sadly. "We should set up camp here for the night."

"It's unbelievable how much this looks like the Wounded Coast," Varric said looking around. "This demon must be something, poking into our inner thoughts and past experiences."

"Here, Anders. Have my old staff," Merrill said, handing it over to Anders. "You're going to need it."

"Thanks, Merrill," Anders smiled as he set the staff next to him. Varric and Zevran picked up wood and started a fire with the help of Anders, and soon they were all sitting around it, munching on some bread and cheese.

"We'll set out early tomorrow," Merrill replied. "Remember not to walk through any openings surrounded in dark blue light. Those are portals."

They all nodded to this. "I'll take up first watch," Anders murmured, his eyes fixed on Faith.

"Zevran and I will take up second watch, then," Isabela quickly said, glancing up at Zevran who nodded.

"I guess it's you and me for third watch, Daisy," Varric grinned up at Merrill who smiled back.

They all settled down to catch some sleep, while Anders kept a watchful eye on Faith and the rest.

…

Varric and Merrill woke the others while it was still dark. They ate next to the fire and then put it out, readying themselves to continue. Faith was still a bit shaken by what she had seen, but she firmly told Anders that she was fine when he asked a third time.

They shared a kiss and followed Merrill up the winding path. Soon they found themselves at an opening. It looked like a cave and did not have a ring of dark blue around it, so they figured it really was a cave – conjured up by the demon along with the rest of the scenery.

"I wonder what we'll be facing this time," Anders muttered.

As soon as they stepped inside, the earth shook slightly and dozens of shades and abominations appeared from the ground.

"You had to ask, Blondie," Varric groaned as he unsheathed Bianca, firing a volley of arrows into the enemies before them.

Isabela, Zevran and Faith jumped forward, slashing into the shades and abominations, while Anders cast a tempest spell and Merrill a strong sleeping spell. The shades and abominations were soon dealt with and they stood quietly around afterwards, catching their breaths.

"It looks like there's a door over there, look," Faith announced, pointing to a stone door on the far right.

"Let's be careful, lethallan. I can feel something. And the Staff feels something too," Merrill said, as the staff she held in her hands lit up with a white light, which emanated from the stone on the tip. The light shone brightly, chasing away the darkness as they made their way to the door.

"It's full of carvings!" Faith called out, as Merrill started to trace the symbols carved on the door.

"These are elven," Merrill said, as she deciphered the symbols. "It warns of the ancient elven evil that will not rest until it invades the world."

"What else is new?" Anders sighed.

Merrill flung open the door. The Staff of the Enlightened shone brightly into the darkness. They were in a large, dilapidated room. Pieces of rocks were strewn about and the walls were covered in webs. Faith groaned.

"Giant spiders now? Really?" She hissed angrily, unsheathing her daggers. The rest also unsheathed their weapons and waited. But what came into view was not a giant spider at all.

There was a rumbling motion, which shook the ground before them. They gazed up in horror as the creature slowly approached them. It had eight hairy legs, much like a spider, but that is where the similarity ended. On what seemed to be the creature's head, five tentacles protruded, with a bulbous eye on each end. It also had huge claws which were snapping madly at the air. The creature's body ended in what looked like a gigantic sting, which was quivering slightly. It towered above them, larger than any varterral. Opening its huge maw, it let out a deafening roar.

"What the fuck is that?" Isabela yelled behind Faith.

"That would be the demon, right Merrill?" Faith said quietly as her eyes sized the thing up, looking for weaknesses.

The Staff of the Enlightened flared up, casting a brilliant ray of light on the creature that screamed again, but this time in pain, its claws swiping at the air in front of it. It opened its maw, revealing a row of sharp razor teeth.

"_Ma emma harel_," the creature screamed. "_Ar tu na'din_!"*

"Anders! Ready your best fire spell!" Faith yelled. "Varric, try to slow it down! Merrill, let's see if a sleeping spell works on this thing. If it doesn't, then hex it! Isa and Zev, we attack together on three!"

"Wait!" Anders began, but Faith interrupted angrily.

"Yes, one, two and three, attack! Now shut up and begin casting, Anders!"

Anders muttered something under his breath and conjured a firestorm spell, which he flung at the demon.

"_Ar tu na'din_!" It screamed again as two of its bulbous eyes caught fire and burned.

"What the fuck is it saying, Merrill?" Faith yelled as she slashed at the creature's hairy legs, which already were singed.

"Oh, that means 'I will kill you'," Merrill replied, flinging a Stonefist spell. The gigantic fist fell directly on the creature's remaining eyes, crushing two of them. The creature screamed in pain and fury again. One of its claws snipped dangerously close to Faith and Isabela, but they both leapt out of the way nimbly.

"Get the last of its eyes! If it is blind, it will tip the fight in our favor!" Faith shouted.

The gigantic sting fell inches away from where Faith was standing and she summersaulted underneath the creature, slashing at its belly, and then diving out of the way as the creature walked backwards to grab her.

An arrow sped next to Faith making a whooshing sound, embedding itself on the last of the creature's eyes. It was blind now, but it could still hear them. The creature chanted something in elven and two rage demons appeared on each side of it, screaming as they rushed forward to attack.

"Winter's grasp!" Anders called out to Merrill, flinging the spell at one of the fiery demons. Merrill quickly caught on and did the same to the other one and then hurled a spirit bolt at the monstrous demon. Zevran rushed forward and backstabbed one of them, while Isabela lunged herself at the other, hacking into it quickly for Anders had cast a haste spell on all of them.

Isabela finished the remaining rage demon, sprinting towards the monster immediately afterwards. Faith performed a roll and ended up underneath again, hacking at its belly once again. The demon screamed in pain and reared up on its back legs, bringing its sting down again and again. It was lashing blindly at anything, but the three rogues lithely jumped away from it and continued to attack its unprotected underbelly like Faith had done before. Soon, the demon was writhing in agony and Faith broke into a run, jumping into the air as she brought her daggers on its head.

There was a dull crushing sound and blood and grey matter oozed out from the creature's head, which gave a final scream and then was still. Immediately afterwards, the Staff of the Enlightened lit up, sending a beam on the creature which turned to ashes before their very eyes.

"We did it!" Merrill yelled happily. "It's finally gone!"

"The Staff did it, more likely. A demon like that would come back to life, wouldn't it?" Anders mused, gazing down at the ashes.

"Yes, it could. The Staff was the only thing that could really banish it, I think," Merrill replied, her brow furrowed in thought.

"Well, then. Glad that's over," Faith grinned.

A bright light suddenly shone behind them, revealing an opening. They could see Keeper Tanneera on the other side, her hands outstretched before her.

"Time to go back to Llomerryn," Anders said, wrapping his arm around Faith's waist.

"First thing I'll be doing is taking a bath." Faith wrinkled her nose since she was covered in blood and gore.

Merrill started laughing and turned to the opening, tying the magical staff on her back.

"Here," Anders said, holding out Merrill's old staff. "You'd better take this, too. I don't think I'll need it once we get back."

…

_***A/N : The two phrases the demon shouts are in elven language. 'Ma emma harel' means 'You should fear me' while 'Ar tu na'din' means 'I will kill you'. **_


	64. Not the Best of Plans

_**First of all, thanks so much moosesaregreat for taking the time to edit this chapter! If you play Skyrim, and like The Elder Scrolls world, please take a look at her fic! It is awesome! The link is on my favorites list, on my profile page. **_

_**I also want to thank all of you who reviewed Chapter 63! Moosesaregreat, BearMage, KnightOfHolyLight, xx Twilight Princess xx, Kanafire and MB18932, I so look forward to reading your reviews! Thank you so much! :D **_

**_Thanks to all who favorited this fic and put it on your alerts list as well! _**

_**Bioware owns everything...I just play with the characters. :D **_

Chapter 64 – Not the Best of Plans

Merrill was unusually quiet when she returned to the farmhouse with Hawke and the rest of the group. Faith had glanced over at her several times, but she seemed lost in thought and flustered about something. It could have had something to do with the fact that the keeper had pulled her over for a private chat, for she had changed drastically since then.

Faith sighed. She had a feeling it had to do with the keeper and the clan, but she would just have to wait for Merrill to tell her. She smiled at Rilka and Fenris and they first made their way to their rooms to bathe and rest before dinner. Anders cornered her in the bathroom and his passionate endeavors soon had her forgetting about Merrill, and everything else for that matter.

Dinner was a delightful affair, made even more amusing from the way Varric told everyone what had happened at the Dalish camp. Faith grinned as she listened to Varric and silently agreed he was quite the storyteller – he had Rilka and Fenris practically holding on to the edge of their seats. Once he had finished telling their story, the talk dwindled down to humorous banter amongst them and she leaned against Anders, sipping on some wine every now and then, while Orana busied herself clearing out the table. Soon Varric declared he was exhausted and left for his room, followed by Isabela and Zevran who had been glancing at each other all evening. Faith smiled to herself as she waved goodbye to them and vowed to ask Isabela all about Zevran the following morning. When Fenris and Rilka left to get some sleep, Merrill suddenly turned to Faith and Anders, her brow furrowed and her eyes full of concern.

"Lethallan, I must speak to you about something," Merrill said, biting her bottom lip thoughtfully before continuing.

"I'm not going anywhere yet," Faith smiled.

Merrill returned a half-smile, and Faith's smile vanished. Whatever it was, it certainly was not something pleasant.

"The keeper spoke to me before we left. I – I wanted to tell you what she said," Merrill said, her voice low.

Anders's arms tightened around Faith for a brief moment, as he tensed slightly. Nevertheless, he kept quiet, waiting for Merrill to speak.

"It's all right, Merrill. You know you can tell me anything," Faith said in a soft voice.

"I know, Hawke. But that doesn't make what I'm about to say easier," Merrill said sadly.

Faith nodded. She instinctively knew what was going on, so she leaned forward and took one of Merrill's hands in her own and squeezed it gently. Merrill gave her a watery smile.

"The keeper has asked me to stay with the clan. I would be her apprentice, and continue to study the Eluvian under her care. It's – It's everything I've ever wished for, lethallan."

"But the Dalish aren't far from here. It's not like you'll be going far away or anything," Faith hurried to say.

Merrill lowered her eyes, her frown deepening. "I'm sorry, Lethallan, but this means that I won't be able to see any of you. I will be meditating and learning with the keeper, and not to be disturbed. The clan is close to the city, that's true, but you won't be seeing me in a very long time…" Merrill's voice trailed off and a couple of tears surfaced and ran down her cheeks.

Faith felt the tears brimming in her own eyes. Behind her, Anders wrapped his arms around her waist, and gently leaned forward. She gave a sob, and leaned against him for a few moments.

Merrill lifted her eyes and fixed them on Faith. "Know this, Lethallan. You are more than a friend to me and I love you as if you were my own flesh and blood."

"Oh, Merrill," Faith managed to say, before throwing her arms around the weeping elf. Anders shook his head, his own eyes suspiciously moist.

"Anders, you will look after her, won't you? I know you will take care of her and protect her…" Merrill added, as she returned Faith's embrace.

"I'll protect her with my life," Anders whispered. "You have my word."

…

Anders was having trouble sleeping. This wasn't too strange as his darkspawn nightmares usually kept him awake. This time, however, he was worried about Faith. The fact that Merrill was leaving had saddened her, and even if she had told him that she was fine about it, he knew very well that she was worried about her. The fire in the room cast shadows on the ceiling which he tried to focus on in order to fall asleep, but that wasn't working at all.

Sighing, he turned on his side for what seemed to him like the hundredth time. Faith muttered something in her sleep and he fixed his eyes on her. She had a crease on her brow which made him frown. Was she having a nightmare? He propped himself on his elbow to get a better look at her, watching her closely in order to wake her up if she showed signs of distress.

Faith moaned again, and turned on her side, then turned again, facing Anders. He tensed. Should he wake her up now? She was whimpering, turning her head from one side to the other. He placed a gentle hand on her arm and started to speak softly.

"Love, wake up. You're having a bad dream…"

Faith's eyelashes fluttered and she gave a gasp. Opening her eyes wide, she found herself staring into Anders's warm brown ones. With a cry, she flung her arms around his neck, pulling him to her.

He responded to her embrace just as eagerly, murmuring soft, tender words of comfort in her ear. It was a while before she stopped trembling in his arms.

"Do you want to tell me about it?" Anders whispered, kissing her gently.

Faith nodded. She shut her eyes, squeezing them tightly and shuddered.

"It was awful, Anders. I dreamt that you – that you –"She choked back a sob, and he tried to calm her, with little success, for she was already crying quietly. She took a deep breath and continued. "…that you turned into a darkspawn before my very eyes…your hair fell out, your skin – Maker!" She shuddered again, the tears still streaming down her cheeks. "And you attacked me…"Faith broke down completely, weeping and trembling in his arms. He pulled her onto his chest and started to rock her gently, while whispering that he loved her and that he was there, and that would never happen because –

"We have to go to Ferelden," Faith interrupted. "We just have to!"

"I know, love," Anders replied.

"I know you don't like the idea of traveling because of what happened to your magic, but…" Faith quavered.

"Shhh," Anders shushed her, kissing the crown of her head. "We're going. And besides, I think I know of a way to find out about the mage-templar war anyway."

Faith stopped crying, and lifted her head to gaze into Anders's eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it will be risky and dangerous. But if we can ask the raiders for help…it may just work. We'll need them to steal something for us," Anders smiled as he brushed her tears away.

"Steal something for us?" Faith echoed a puzzled look on her face.

"The building plans of the Circle in Dairsmuid, to be more exact. Oh, and the complete templar schedule, including where they make their rounds..."

"We're going to break into the circle tower in Dairsmuid, aren't we?"

"Maker help me," Anders sighed. "But yes. We are. It's the only solution I can think to our problem."

"But how are we going to get information about the mage-templar war around Thedas there? I don't understand…"

"Ah," Anders replied, a smirk on his face. "I never did tell you about the sending stones, did I?"

…

The following day, their breakfast was interrupted by Orana.

"Sorry, mistress, but Master Soreikos is here to see you." The elven woman curtseyed as Soreikos came into the room. They all waved a hello to him, and Faith gave him a bright smile.

"What news, my friend?" Faith asked, her eyes twinkling. She was feeling good after her talk with Anders. The fact that the mages had what he called 'sending stones' as a means of communication amongst all the circle towers in Thedas had sent her spirits soaring. "We wanted to talk to you actually."

"You did?" Soreikos sat on the chair next to Faith and Anders, smirking. "Now this is what I call perfect timing, my friends."

Faith chuckled. "Indeed."

"We have someone I think you should meet," Soreikos grinned. "I even managed to get him to tell me if anyone knew where he was, or what his plans were."

"Who is this person?" Faith smiled.

"A templar, but not just any templar," Soreikos replied, a wolfish grin on his face.

Faith smiled back at him. She knew what that grin meant. Soreikos had stumbled on something valuable or very important. "Go on! Don't keep me waiting!" She muttered impatiently.

"The Knight-Commander of the Circle Tower in Dairsmuid," Soreikos winked. "He's been my prisoner for a few days now…"

"The Knight-Commander? Imprisoned in your dungeons?" Anders exclaimed. "It's not even my birthday!"

"Really?" Faith said, a slow smile spreading on her face. "It just so happens that we need to break into the circle tower."

"Huh?" Varric interjected from where he sat. "We're going to break into a circle tower? Why wasn't I told of this before?"

Faith giggled. "Because Anders and I only talked about this last night."

Varric rolled his eyes but said nothing else.

"You know, it has been a while since we've done something really exciting," Isabela purred. Zevran smirked beside her, while Fenris shook his head.

"Do you really think breaking into a building full of templars is a good idea? You must have both gone completely mad," Fenris said, pulling Rilka closer to him.

"It's the only way we can get the information we need about the mage-templar war," Faith turned to Fenris. "The mages all have what they call 'sending stones' in every circle tower in Thedas. They learn about what is happening everywhere this way. And at the same time, too."

"You mean, they instantly receive information?" Varric said, scratching his chin. "That's really interesting. Not to mention useful."

"Thinking about adding it to your book, I see," Faith chuckled getting a bark of a laugh from Varric.

"All this is extremely interesting. Where do we come in?" Soreikos grinned.

"The Knight-Commander is your prisoner. Wouldn't the templars want him back?" Faith purred. "I'm sure we could work out something."

"This is really dangerous," Anders said. "And as much as I'd love to give the Knight-Commander a low blow, I also enjoy being alive. Not to mention keeping you alive as well, love."

"Oh, we'd make sure you are alive. We swore to protect you with our lives, after all," Soreikos interrupted. "We'll get the plans and the schedule for you."

"So we aren't going to kill the Knight-Commander?" Anders asked sadly.

"Not yet, my friend," Soreikos smiled. "Not just yet."

…

Michael opened his eyes, shivering on the cold, damp floor. His stomach growled painfully. He had no idea how long it had been since the raiders had given him food. They did come in and leave a jar of water for him from time to time, though.

He heard footsteps and locks being turned. A torch shed some light and his hand shot out to cover his eyes. After a few painful moments, he slowly opened them and found himself staring at the door to his cell. Standing in front of it was the leader of the raiders, and – his eyes widened.

"Hello, Knight-Commander. I hear you wanted to meet me?" Faith grinned.

…

Merrill arrived at the Dalish camp without incident. She hadn't even said goodbye to Hawke and her friends, but she knew that it was for the best. She didn't like goodbyes and since she knew that Hawke was already broken up about her leaving, she didn't want to make it worse.

"Da'len. You are here at last. I'm glad you have decided to return to your people," the keeper said in a soft voice. "_Andaran atish'an_."

"_Andaran atish'an_, Keeper." Merrill replied, bowing her head slightly.

"Come. I will introduce you to the rest of the clan. Then, I will show you where you will be sleeping," Keeper Tanneera said, a gentle smile on her face. "I'm sure you will feel right at home. It is where you belong after all, Da'len."

"_Ma serranas_," Merrill murmured as she followed the keeper.

"Our people were expecting you. They are excited to know you will help us with the Eluvian," Keeper Tanneera replied, her eyes twinkling. "It seems that we will finally have our past lore returned to us, just when we need it the most."

Merrill smiled, struggling to keep the tears from surfacing as the feeling of sadness threatened to overwhelm her. Somehow all this didn't seem quite as exciting and worthwhile as she thought it would be.

…


	65. Dancing With Danger

_**A very special thank you to LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for proofreading and editing this chapter for me! You two ROCK! :D **_

_**Also, LadyDarksbane is working on a companion piece for this story. She's already posted it on Archive of Our Own. Here is the link: http: / / archive of our own . org / works /387956 (no spaces in between). The story is called "Family Matters" and is really good! Try to take a moment to read it if you can! :D**_

_**Thanks also to my wonderful reviewers: sadiesadist, KnightOfHolyLight, MB18932, Kanafire, xx Twilight Princess xx and wheresilent! I just love reading your feedback! :D **_

_**Big surprises in this chapter - or maybe not! **_

_**Bioware owns everything! **_

Chapter 65 – Dancing With Danger

"You…you are the Champion, aren't you?" Michael managed to ask through chapped lips.

"The one and the same," Faith replied, a wolfish grin on her face. "What can I do for you?"

"I don't care about you," Michael croaked. "But if you tell me where the abomination is, I promise you I'll send a report back to the Lord Seeker, and you will be spared…"

Faith frowned, leaning slightly towards the manacled man on the ground. "The Lord Seeker…?"

"He…he is in command now. The Divine, she…she…oh, please some water! I beg you!" Michael gasped.

A man beside the Champion handed her a jar of water, and she placed the jar in front of the templar. The man once again gasped and brought it immediately to his parched lips, drinking as much as he could, for he started to cough some of it up as well.

When the templar had drunk enough, he leaned back against the grimy stone wall. Faith leaned forward once again. "You were telling me about the Divine? What about her?"

"She - she favors the mages! It's blasphemy! Madness!" Michael gasped. "If it wasn't for the Lord Seeker, we would have nobody to follow…"

"The templars have disbanded?" Faith asked urgently. "Why?"

Michael looked up at Faith, and this time a grin appeared suddenly on his face. "Oh, do not think it was because of what you and your lover did, you whore! There are other factors. Why do you think I was ordered to come to Llomerryn and perform the Rite of Annulment on the circle tower?" His eyes suddenly became glazed. He clearly was delirious. Faith suspected he was burning up with fever.

"What do you mean other factors?" She asked, the urgency in her voice causing Michael to fix his eyes on her again.

Michael started laughing and Faith's frown deepened.

"Did you tell anyone you were coming here?" Soreikos asked.

"My men are dead. Soon I will be dead, too," Michael whispered.

Faith blinked at the man and when she spoke, kept her voice gentle. "Did you tell anyone you were coming here?"

Michael fixed his eyes on her again. His whole face was now bathed in sweat. "Some rats bit me. See?"

He lifted his arm slowly. Faith saw his tunic had been gnawed on and when she saw the chunks of flesh missing on his arm, she nearly gagged.

"Please tell me if anyone knew you were coming," Faith insisted.

"If you tell me where the abomination is, I'll tell you," Michael responded, grinning at her.

"You tell me first," Faith snarled back.

"Nobody knows I'm here. I told nobody. I came here with six men. They are all dead. I do not fear death. The Maker will receive me most joyously when I die. Can you say the same, Champion?"

Faith did not reply, but straightened herself up, swaying slightly on her feet. A blond man next to her suddenly caught her in his arms. Michael's eyes narrowed. Wasn't the abomination described as a blond man? But this man was dressed in leather armor. It could not be him. Michael focused, trying to reach out and sense if there was magic in the room, but he was too ill and weak to achieve this. He fell back against the stone wall again, breathing heavily. If only they would give him some food, he could get better. Then, he would escape. Yes. He would escape.

"What is your name?" Faith asked quietly.

"My name is Michael. Michael Royseux," Michael whispered back. He was tired, so very tired. All he wanted to do was sleep. But they were all whispering – something. Something about him, he guessed. He did not care anymore. He just wanted to sleep.

He had nearly dozed off when he felt something cold pressing against his neck. Opening his eyes slightly, he saw Faith's face close, her eyes full of something he could not place. "Say hello to the Maker for me, Michael Royseux," she whispered as she swiped the dagger across his throat in one, quick movement. Blood gushed out from the wound, and Faith leaned back to avoid being hit with it. Michael gurgled and his hand went to his throat. Then he slumped back against the wall, and his hand fell to the ground.

…

They stopped to see Mistress Patross at the 'Better than Ever' on their way back to the farmhouse. Rilka had done a good job healing her and she was busy in the kitchen, preparing dinner. As soon as she saw Faith and Anders, she gave a little cry and embraced them both.

"I'm so relieved Rilka managed to heal you," Faith told her happily.

"Your cousin is a real sweetheart," Mistress Patross smiled as she led them to the kitchen table. "Please, sit and eat! Dinner is nearly ready."

"We can't stay, I'm afraid," Anders said with an urgency in his voice that made Faith turn a puzzled look at him. "We have to attend to other pressing matters at home."

"We just wanted to check on you, that's all," Faith said slowly, smiling sweetly at the innkeeper. "But we can come over tomorrow and have breakfast with you, if you'd like."

"No, no, don't do it just to please me," the good lady said, her eyes twinkling. "I'm sure you two have a lot to do. You're always so busy these days. Don't mind me, dears. Just don't forget to visit once in a while."

"Oh, we'll be here soon enough to tell you all about our adventures," Anders chuckled.

"I'm looking forward to that," Mistress Patross replied. "Now go and get your things done. And thank you for visiting me, darlings."

…

"What's this pressing matter we have to attend to?" Faith asked curiously once they were back home.

"Do you think I'm going to let you just sit and stay somewhere, when you've been exposed to what clearly is some disease this templar had?" Anders scolded, already unbuckling her leather jerkin. "I'm going to scrub you clean in a nice hot bath and give you one of my very strong recuperating potions."

Faith had to giggle, even though she appreciated Anders's concern. Her clothes came off easily and soon she was sitting in a tub of very warm water.

"Mmmm," she hummed contently. "Care to join me?" Her enticing look was tempting, but Anders was fully focused and committed to completing his task. Once he was satisfied that she was squeaking clean, he wrapped her in a towel, and ran off to the room that had once been his clinic to find the potion. Faith smiled as she used the towel to dry herself and put on a long white shift, yawning wearily.

When Anders returned, she was already in bed, staring at the fire as it cackled merrily in the fireplace. He handed her the potion and she grimaced while she drank it.

"Ugh! Worse taste ever! I always hated these things," she muttered.

"But they're effective," Anders smiled. "I asked Orana to bring us a tray of food, love."

"You are a wonderful husband," Faith yawned again.

"Yes, because saying that while yawning really convinces me that it's true," Anders teased.

"I don't know if I should have been the one to kill him," Faith said wistfully, biting her lower lip.

Anders's eyes fixed themselves on her lips. He was already aroused from giving her a bath, but her simple gesture had him taking her in his arms and claiming her lips hungrily.

"Are you sure you want to talk about that right now?" He murmured in between kisses.

"Talk about what?" She asked, breathing heavily.

Anders smiled at this, his hands softly tweaking her nipples over her shift. At that moment, there was a knock on their door.

"That would be Orana," Faith purred.

"That's the last time I'm asking her for a tray. Next time, I'll bring it myself."

…

Soreikos was true to his word. Five days after he had promised Faith he would deliver the plans and the schedules to her, he appeared at the farmhouse, and handed her the said documents with a grin on his face.

Anders was uneasy throughout the whole thing. In fact, he was uneasy about the whole plan and the break-in. It was a circle with templars in it and somewhere he most certainly did not want to be. However, he did not want to let Faith out of his sight either. So when they all got together to see who would go to the circle tower, he reluctantly agreed to go along.

During the five days that they had waited for Soreikos to produce the information that they needed, Anders had been busy perfecting his moves and stealth. He had a little problem working on improving stealth. Try as he might, he could not get much better at it. He refused to give up, however, and continued to listen to Zevran's tips and tried all the harder.

They discussed the break-in a lot before they left for the capital. They went over each little detail. Soreikos had a ship and would be taking them across the waters directly to the docks of the city of Dairsmuid, where they would prepare for the next phase.

The templars in the west wing of the huge building would retire to their quarters and sleep all night, while the ones in the east wing would go on patrol once to secure locks and doors and then retire for the night. Since there were no mages to guard, they had no reason to stay up and patrol the corridors. This was a clear point in their favor. However, since the Knight-Commander's disappearance, there had been some changes to the original schedules they held in their hands. Simply put, Soreikos had told them that it had been difficult to get their hands on these important documents, because the templars had been erratically waking up at all hours of the night and patrolling the entire huge main hall, which happened to be the only way to the sending stone, which was inside the First Enchanter's quarters.

There was another detail that favored their break-in greatly though. The majority of the templars had left, because Soreikos had counted only a dozen in each wing. Anders didn't ask how Soreikos knew that much, he really didn't want to know the details. The thought of breaking into a place with templars in it willingly – instead of escaping from it - already had him sweating and his nerves were at a stretching point.

They waited until it was late, and moved along the city quietly. Soon they were standing in front of the massive Tevinter building. It was a warm evening, but Anders felt cold and his mouth was dry. He stole a glance at Faith, who could hardly control her eagerness. Her whole body seemed to tingle with excitement, and her cheeks were slightly flushed.

"This is something really dangerous, you know. You don't have to look so excited about it," Anders whispered into her ear.

Faith turned her face to him and the look on it made him smile and move closer to her. He felt the familiar heat in his groin and cursed inwardly at his weakness. This was not a time to get sexually aroused at all.

"This way," Soreikos whispered, which finally made Anders focus on what they were doing, but at the same time, caused him to wish fervently that they were all somewhere else.

"And the fun begins," Isabela whispered. Beside her, Zevran's eyes seemed to glow with a life of their own, while Faith turned her head to Anders and winked at him.

He followed them into the darkened alley, which brought them to the side door, crouching low, his heart hammering in his chest. Lysander quickly picked the lock and silently stepped inside, followed by Soreikos, Isabela and Zevran. Faith turned suddenly and kissed Anders roughly and quickly on the lips.

"For luck," she whispered, before disappearing through the door.

Anders shook his head before following her inside, his heart in his throat, while he prayed to Andraste and all that was holy for their success.

…

The whole place was dark, big and silent. A light flickering at the end of the corridor they were in dimly shed some light on the path up ahead. The plan was for the six of them to make their way to the First Enchanter's quarters, which were really three rooms separate from the rest of the building. From there, Soreikos and Lysander would stay behind to keep watch over the door into the main entrance room, while Isabela, Zevran, Anders and Faith proceeded into the First Enchanter's office to look for the information they sought. Even though they knew that the sending stone would be silent, Anders knew for a fact that all First Enchanters kept records of what was sent and thought that maybe the templars were doing the same, to prepare for any new mages brought in. He also had concluded that the late Knight-Commander had probably lived in these quarters after the circle had been annulled and had a journal of some kind where he wrote all the recent events down. At any rate, they knew that everything was probably in that room, and headed straight to it.

So far, they had made their way into the vast main hall, which was brightly lit by four large braziers, two on one side of the room, and two on the other. They crouched in the corridor concealed in the semi-darkness, their eyes glued on the other doorways that led to the room, listening for footsteps. They had to cross the room to reach the huge staircase which was partly in darkness, as there were two more braziers at the top.

"The staircase at least is in darkness," Soreikos whispered. "We'll go up the stairs first, you follow closely behind. If we can manage to take a look at the lit area ahead and scout for templars, we'll be able to make our way further in without incident."

Footsteps coming from one of the doorways alerted them and they flattened themselves against the walls of the corridor, their senses tingling as the adrenaline pumped madly through their bodies. Soreikos took a peek and the templar entered the main room, walking directly to the doorway and the corridor they were hiding in. Anders saw this too, and he felt a giant hand close in on his already hammering heart like a vise. He broke into a cold sweat.

Faith squeezed his hand, an encouraging smile on her lips and Anders held on tightly, until her touch had soothed him somewhat. The templar stopped and turned his back on them, looking at the staircase and around the vast room before turning again to his right and disappearing into the corridor next to the one where they crouched, hidden from view.

Anders let out a shuddering breath, discovering only then that he had been holding it in.

"Come on," Soreikos urged impatiently. "We must cross the main hall before anyone else comes into the room. Keep to the walls and make a run for the stairs."

They did as they were told, reaching the staircase a few moments later. At that moment, a voice ran through the entire room, bouncing against the walls.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

Faith turned to the templar first, rushing to meet him - her daggers at the ready, while Anders watched with horrified eyes as the templar brought his shield out and bashed her to the ground. Footsteps were suddenly heard coming from two other corridors that led to the room, but Anders did not care. His eyes were focused on the sword that was coming down on Faith's unconscious form.

Anders felt a surge in his entire body as he came to life, running directly to the templar that was about to plunge the sword into Faith. He did not even see the four other templars that had come into the room, but what happened next rooted everyone on the spot.

Flinging his arms in front of him he released the power within, and flames suddenly burst from the templar, who cried out and dropped his sword, staggering backwards. Dropping down to his knees, he burned to a crisp. The other templars advanced noisily towards Anders and he let out a growl, turning to face them quickly. Before the templars even had a chance to unleash a smite on him, they were instantly enveloped in lightning, which had them jerking around on their feet until they sank lifelessly to the floor.

Anders then took Faith into his arms gently, his hands glowing golden and then white as the healing magic burst forth from him and into her body. He smoothed her hair as she opened her eyes to gaze up at him.

"I got my magic back," Anders said cheerfully.

Faith smiled - her eyes twin stars as she looked up at him lovingly. "As I've said many times before…what would I do without my handsome mage to protect me?"

…


	66. An Unexpected Surprise

_**My darling friend, LadyDarksbane has finally posted 'Family Matters' on . Here is the link: http : / / www .fanfiction .net / s / 8061829 / 1 /(no spaces in between) It's also in my profile under my favorites. Please take the time to read it, so you can find out about Faith's cousin and the places they go together! :D **_

_**Thanks so much to all my wonderful reviewers: LadyDarksbane, moosesaregreat, MB18932, KnightOfHolyLight, BearMage, xx Twilight Princess xx, sadiesadist, Kanafire, Freakitten, and wheresilent! A very special thank you to LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for helping me with their editing skills for this chapter! You two rock! :D **_

_**Yep! Bioware still owns! **_

Chapter 66 – An Unexpected Surprise

By the time they had reached the First Enchanter's quarters, they had killed four more templars. Faith was feeling decidedly angry at the fact that these idiots were actually coming for them, since they were chasing after certain death. She grimaced, nodding to Lysander and Soreikos and turned to enter the First Enchanter's office with Anders, Isabela and Zevran close behind.

Faith's eyes were immediately drawn to a pedestal of sorts in the center of the room. On top of said pedestal, a smooth piece of rock shimmered in gold tones. Anders muttered something under his breath and looked around the room.

"What?" Faith asked automatically as his eyes suddenly focused on something on a desk in the far right corner of the room.

"I said I couldn't believe the First Enchanter actually had the sending stone here in his office. These stones are usually inside their personal chambers, away from prying eyes," Anders said quietly. As soon as he finished talking, he made his way directly to the desk, while Isabela and Zevran looked around the room searching for chests or other containers that would hold something of value.

Faith followed Anders, after successfully prying her eyes away from the mesmerizing beauty of the stone. A leather-bound book was open on the middle of the desk, and Anders stood there looking at the written page. A gasp escaped his lips after a moment of intense concentration.

"What is it?" Faith asked quickly. The gasp alerted Zevran and Isabela, who immediately crossed the room to stand behind them.

"This is the record book of the messages sent to the sending stone. Look at the last entry!" Anders pointed.

Faith eyes widened as she read the entry. "Orlais going through a civil war?" Her surprised voice filled the room.

"No, read on," Anders urged.

"Maker's breath!" came Faith's cry as her eyes finally read the sentences Anders had originally been referring to. "The Rite of Tranquility can actually be reversed?"

Anders turned to look at her, his eyes wide with shock. At that moment, a noise at the door to the rooms told them that more templars had arrived, and that Soreikos and Lysander were already fighting them.

Pausing only to scoop up the large book and put it into her backpack, Faith rushed into the fray, her teeth clenched while Anders flung a tempest spell directly at the templars. It seemed that the templars had found the bodies of their fallen comrades, and had been searching for the intruders that had killed them. As a matter of fact, as the templars kept coming through the doors, Faith realized that all of the templars in the circle had been alerted for they soon found themselves outnumbered.

"Looks like someone has a death wish!" Faith snarled as her daggers slashed at the templar nearest her.

"Yes, and theirs is worse than yours!" Anders retorted, flinging a fireball at two templars who were readying themselves to smite him.

Meanwhile, although Zevran kept as close to Isabela as he possibly could, he suddenly disappeared in a screen of smoke, reappearing shortly afterwards behind a templar that had cornered Lysander, possibly saving the raider's life.

They continued to battle the templars, gaining the upper hand as they disposed of their enemies. When there were very few templars left, Anders gave a cry as he was flung backwards, falling to the floor unconscious. One of the templars had finally managed to smite him.

Faith immediately turned and attacked the offending templar, performing a neat backstab which caused the man to fall forward on his face, crying out in pain. She had not killed him, but she would soon. Bending down, she dug her hand in his hair and pulled his head up.

"Now you die," she whispered as she sank her blade into his neck.

There were four templars left. One of them was dispatched by Isabela and Zevran, while the other three battled Soreikos and Lysander. They all focused on fighting the remaining ones until all the templars had been dealt with.

When the battle was over, Faith rushed to Anders, fear gripping her heart like a vise.

"Anders, speak to me!" she cried, as she knelt in front of her husband, her hands patting his face gently.

Anders groaned, his eyes still tightly shut. "Andraste's knicker weasels! I hate it when they smite me!"

Faith chuckled, relief written all over her face. Zevran came up to Faith, carrying a black book in his hands. "Look at what I found, my dear Hawke."

Faith turned to Zevran and smiled as she took the book. Flipping it open, her eyes found a name scribbled at the very top. Anders sat up and scooted closer to where she was kneeling, focusing on the book.

"It's a journal," Isabela commented.

"It's not just any journal," Faith smiled, while Anders chuckled at Faith's words.

"Whose journal is it?" Soreikos asked interestedly.

"The late Knight-Commander's," Faith replied, wiggling her eyebrows at him, a smug expression on her face.

Both Soreikos and Lysander grinned.

"Great. Now that we're going to be privy to the charming Knight-Commander's thoughts and actions, can we get out of here and head back home?" Anders suggested.

"It seems we'll have a lot of reading to do once we get back to the farmhouse," Faith mused as she stood up. "Let's go!"

She held out her hand and Anders took it, jumping up lithely to stand beside her. "I'll carry that for you, love." Anders took the large journal and stuffed it into his backpack.

"I can't believe we managed to kill all the templars," Lysander said, looking at all the dead bodies on the floor.

They left the First Enchanter's quarters, and calmly walked back to the large staircase and from there to the main hall. Anders kept Faith's hand in his and he was smiling.

"What are you so happy about?" Soreikos nudged him with his elbow.

"Getting rid of templars _always_ puts me in a good mood," Anders chuckled.

…

She arched her body up to him, eagerly meeting his hands halfway. He grunted and put his hands around her, his palms and fingers laced with the electric sparks that were making her moan with pleasure. Smiling coyly, she lifted her legs, wrapping them around his waist, while one of his hands moved over her body, down to her clit.

"Anders!" She moaned as she bit her bottom lip. He gasped as she pressed against his erection, but did not enter her just yet. The electric sparks touched the entrance to her core, and she arched her back again, while he focused on pleasuring her, ignoring his throbbing arousal.

One of his hands held her back so that she pressed against him, while he flicked her nub with the other one. By the time he finally managed to thrust two fingers inside her, she was thrashing her head from side to side, mewling with pleasure. She was wet and ready.

He focused on making her reach her climax and continued to tease her, until her need for him had her chanting his name and she rubbed against him again. Unable to contain himself, he grabbed his erection, and positioned it at her entrance.

"Anders, please!" she whimpered, and that did it. Giving a cry, he sheathed himself inside her, feeling her hot, wet walls squeeze around him. He grunted and stopped all movement, as he breathed in her scent deeply, savoring the moment. He pulled out and then back in again slowly, which made her moan.

"Please!" came the single word, but he did nothing to increase his speed, waiting for her to reach her climax yet again as he lowered his face to the valley between her breasts and his mouth tasted her ivory skin. Her walls clenched around him impatiently, and he smiled as his hand lazily found the way back to her folds and he flicked her nub with his fingers. She bucked and he moaned, pulling his erection out until only the tip remained inside, then thrust in deeply again.

"Please!" she gasped as he pushed out and in, slowly picking up speed. Her walls were squeezing him at intervals, making him hiss with pleasure.

"Tell me what you want," he whispered as he kissed her neck, reaching the sensitive area around her earlobe.

"I want – I want you to – oh!" She moaned, unable to continue for he was now kissing her hungrily. He groaned again when he realized he would not last much longer.

When she finally came, he followed her over the edge, thrusting inside her deeply, a cry escaping his lips. He pulled her up against him as he slid off her, struggling to catch his breath. After a while, he dozed off, and she smiled as she planted soft kisses over his chest, before finally settling down, curled up against his side.

Her mage was back.

…

The next day, they set about reading the books they had brought with them after they had had their morning meal. Faith was absorbed in the large book that held all the messages from the sending stone, while Anders leafed through the late Knight-Commander's journal.

"The mage who managed to reverse the Rite of Tranquility is in Orlais!" Faith announced from her chair. Anders started at this, a frown on his lips.

"Looks like everything is happening in Orlais."

"Maybe we should travel there instead?" Faith asked as she turned the page.

"No, thanks," Anders muttered. "I just want to travel to Ferelden, directly to Soldier's Keep." He turned the page and fixed his eyes on the next entry.

"It looks like it should be fine. I don't think the actual war against the templars has really started." Faith turned her head slightly, as her eyes fixed themselves on Anders. "I'm done. And the only thing I've discovered is that all the mages were holding a conclave in Orlais."

Anders nodded, placing the book he had been reading on the table before him. "There isn't much I can get out of this journal, either. The only prominent thing was that he was in charge of executing all the mages in the circle in Dairsmuid, and either he was in love with the 'Lord Seeker', or he at least had a crush on him. Also, reading about how much he hated the mages has put me in a temper."

"Anything I can do to make it better?" Faith asked, her eyes wide and innocent.

Anders snorted. "I'm sure there is, but you'll have to be more specific if you expect an answer from me."

Faith grinned as she stood up, and then stretched on her toes, ignoring the appreciative look on Anders's face as his eyes roamed over her curves. "I think we should call a meeting to inform everyone what the situation is, don't you?"

"Right now?" The disappointment in Anders's voice had her grinning and she giggled when she saw the look on his face.

"Well, yes. Right now," Faith batted her eyelashes.

There was a knock on the door and Orana entered the room.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, Mistress, but there is a woman here who wants to see you. I don't know who she is, but she insists that you are her cousin," Orana said.

"Thank you, Orana."

"Another cousin? You seem to collect them, don't you?" Anders grinned.

Faith smiled back. Anders was evidently referring to a man they had met before setting off to the circle in Dairsmuid, who had turned out to be another long-lost cousin of hers.

"Well, I guess we'd better see who it is," Faith said as she moved to the door. "We'll have to meet with the others later."

…

When Faith entered the main hall, she was knocked backwards by a brown blur. The animal started to lick her face and gave a happy bark, his stump of a tail wagging furiously.

"Paws!" Faith exclaimed as she hugged her faithful mabari.

The young woman in the room laughed. "Well, at least he's happier than he used to be. I'm glad I brought him, cousin."

"Charade!" Faith got up and quickly crossed the room. She gave Charade a hug, which Charade happily returned. Faith let her go, and held her at arms' length. "What in blazes are you doing here?"

"Simply delivering your mabari, cousin. He was pining away for you."

"But how did you know we were here?"

"Anders sent a message through the dwarven merchant guild. It's the only safe way to send out messages these days."

Faith turned to Anders, her eyes shining. He grinned back at her and bent down to pat Paws head affectionately. The mabari gave a happy bark as it tried to jump up and lick Anders's face.

"Oh, no you don't! I'm still very much a cat person, old boy. Sorry," Anders grinned, taking two steps back. "I was only saying 'hello'."

…


	67. Uncertainty in the Horizon

_**Sorry I haven't updated sooner, but I've been having some health issues. **_

_**This chapter also includes some references to "Dragon Age: Asunder" but there is one major twist I'm incorporating in my fic. Our heroes are now nearing the 'epilogue' point in DA2, where Cassandra and Leliana meet. Things will take a turn then. I do not give any major spoilers for Asunder, though in the previous chapter, I do refer to the Tranquility issue as this will probably pop again later on in my fic (or maybe not, haha! ;)). If you haven't done so, please take some time to read "Family Matters" by my lovely editor LadyDarksbane, as it will describe Dread (Faith's cousin) and more of Faith's adventures with Dread and the rest. The link is on my profile page in my favorites.**_

_**I want to thank all the wonderful people who constantly review. You know your reviews mean so much to me! They are what keep me motivated and writing. So I want to thank darkkchylde, sadiesadist, BearMage, KnightOfHolyLight, LadyDarksbane, xx Twilight Princess xx, and MB18932 for their feedback! :D You all rock! I haven't been able to write to you all this time around, thanking you personally - sorry about that! **_

_**Hope you enjoy this chapter because I really enjoyed writing it! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything, and Mr. Gaider is a genius! :D **_

Chapter 67 – Uncertainty in the Horizon

The months sped by fast, and before they knew it, Rilka was yelling at the top of her lungs that her baby was killing her. Anders dressed as fast as he could in the dim-half light, while Faith put on a heavy robe and followed him silently to her cousin's bedroom.

She was happy for her cousin, excited that the baby was finally coming. Anders tried to calm Rilka down as soon as they arrived to her room. He turned to Faith and asked for hot water and lots of clean fabric.

"What kind of fabric?" Faith asked as Rilka delivered a slew of curse words that made Fenris blush slightly.

"Anything clean," Anders replied, his hands hovering over Rilka's swollen belly.

Charade came into the room, sleepily rubbing her eyes. "Is she going to be all right?"

"Yes, of course!" Rilka gasped for breath as she answered sarcastically. "I'm just practicing in case I need to scream for real!" She took a deep breath, ignoring the look on Charade's face. "It's not like I'm dying or in a lot of pain! Oh, Andraste's tits! I'm going to kill you!" The last bit was directed at Fenris, who blinked and took a few steps back.

"Rilka, I need you to push," Anders said calmly. "I can ease the pain a bit, but you have to push when you get another contraction. Can you do this for me?" Rilka nodded her head vigorously. She was sweating and panting, but she lay back down on the bed and there was something akin to relief on her face as Anders poured some healing magic into her.

"Good girl." Anders turned to Faith, one of his eyebrows raised quizzically. Faith started for she remembered what she had to do. She murmured her apologies and grabbed Charade's arm on the way out, just as Rilka let out a scream that made the chandelier above their heads rattle.

"Come on, cousin. You don't want to be here, trust me."

They ran into Isabela and Zevran along the way, who immediately asked what was going on.

"Baby coming, no time to chat, have to get hot water, clean towels or something…" Faith replied as she dragged Charade down the corridor to the kitchen.

They passed Varric, who had just opened his door and stood there quietly observing everything. "I never would have guessed that Rilka actually _knew _those words," the dwarf mused.

"Shut it, Varric!" Came Faith's snarl from the top of the main staircase. She went down the stairs as fast as she could, and soon both she and Charade disappeared from view.

"You have no idea how glad I am that I don't want to be a mother," Isabela commented to Zevran.

…

After a grueling day - and night - of tension, the baby was finally born. When Faith and her friends, who were pacing the corridor outside the room, heard the baby crying, Faith grinned and gave Charade a hug, then proceeded to hug the rest of her friends.

The door to Fenris and Rilka's bedroom slowly opened, and a tired, but happy Anders emerged, followed closely by Orana. "A baby boy," Anders said in a soft, gentle voice. "Fenris is there with Rilka and the baby. You'll have to wait to see Rilka. She's exhausted, and I want her to sleep a bit."

So, the group busied themselves with other less important tasks the rest of the day. Faith let Anders sleep, while she went to the docks to visit Isabela.

Isabela and Zevran were working on a ship that had been given to Faith as a gift from Dread, her other cousin. Faith had waited for Dread to leave before giving Isabela the ship. The pirate didn't want to accept it at first, but Faith had managed to convince her.

"So, will the ship be ready soon?" Faith smiled.

"Oh, the ship always was ready," Isabela replied with a chuckle. "I just wanted to make sure she is clean and fit to take us, that's all!"

"Your offer still stands, doesn't it?" Faith replied, tilting her head slightly.

"Yes, of course. I'll get you to Denerim, not a problem," Isabela replied quickly. "I'll even come back to get you when you are ready to come back here. _If _you remember to send me a message, that is."

"No, that's fine, Isa. I do understand that you want to go places, take up smuggling again, among other things. You need to live your life. And even though I love you like a sister, I understand you have to leave."

"I'm not going just yet, you goose. I still need to get a larger crew and see if any merchants want shipments delivered to Denerim, or other ports. Besides, the ship isn't ready, yet."

Faith smiled and nodded her head. She was really going to miss Isabela. Varric and Charade arrived at the docks, waving their greetings to everyone else.

"Ah, here you are," Varric said. Faith turned to smile at him. "Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you. I think I might go on the trip with you. Well, at least until we pass Kirkwall. I need to make a stop there."

"I don't think it would be wise for us to dock at Kirkwall," Faith frowned, casting a glance at Isabela, who was ordering one of her crew to clean the deck before turning to face them again.

"Then I'll sail to Denerim first," Isabela shrugged. "It makes no difference to me, really. Denerim and Kirkwall are not that far away from each other."

"It seems everyone is leaving all at once," Faith muttered, sadness flashing in her eyes for a few moments before she controlled herself. It would not do to let them see how much this was affecting her. This was her family, but she knew they each had to live their lives.

"Not forever," Isabela winked. "We'll be back soon enough. Our home is in Llomerryn with you and sparklefingers."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Faith's face. Varric had opened his mouth to say he would probably not be coming back, but the last thing he wanted was to cause Faith more pain. Instead, he chuckled and wiggled his eyebrows at her, eliciting a grin from her.

"We still have a Wintersend party to plan, Hawke. Or did you think you were going to get away from all the hard work of organizing one?"

"I'll be going to Kirkwall with you, Varric. I can't stay here forever! After all, I do have to keep an eye on Gamlen," Charade commented.

Faith let her gaze roam around the dock warehouse before fixing it on the open window on her right. Deep down inside she willed herself to stop the sadness she was feeling and instead focus on the today and now. They were together. And that was something she should focus on.

After that, she would just have to rely on her memories.

…

The red-haired bard looked into the king's eyes, her clear blue gaze holding his amber one.

"I don't have to tell you anything, Alistair. I do have to speak to Fergus, and that is where I'm heading off to immediately after this meeting with you. But I do hope you can help us, because Alyssa isn't here to do so herself."

"Unfortunately," Alistair replied. He looked at the woman standing next to Leliana and frowned. "She does not wish to speak to you, I'm afraid. I can't say I'm particularly thrilled to see you here, but we must deal with the matter at hand."

"Orlais is a mess, what with the Civil War, and we don't want a war between the mages and the templars. We need your help, as does every man, woman and child in Thedas. We must stop this madness before it's too late," Leliana said sadly.

"Why don't you let her speak for herself?" Alistair queried.

"Ah, King Alistair," the older woman smiled. "What she is telling you is what I would say myself. I could add something else, if you will let me?"

Alistair gave a curt nod. "Please do."

"I hoped you would realize how important it is to count on you, King Alistair. The lives of many people are at stake. A war is not the best way to solve all this mess. I was hoping to count on the queen's ability to step in and help us. That is not to be, unfortunately. When do you think she will be back?"

Alistair frowned. "Even if I knew, I would not tell you."

"You misunderstand," the woman replied.

"Really? Can you elaborate?" Alistair shot back quickly.

"I do not wish for a templar-mage war, but I see that it is upon us and it seems there is nothing that can be done. I have sided with the mages. In fact, I have already helped them in Orlais. I made this choice long before the mage rebellion in the White Spire. The Lord Seeker would gladly have me put to death. That is why I am here, seeking your help."

Alistair blinked, his eyes wide with surprise. He clearly had not expected to hear that. The woman smiled at his reaction. He cleared his throat, his hand rubbing the back of his head before he spoke.

"Well, this changes things. I can say that the queen is solving another issue that needed her attention. She will _not_ return soon. But I will try to help you. You have my word," Alistair smiled back.

"Then we have an agreement?"

"We do. You will be safe here. For the moment, at least," Alistair said.

"Thank you."

"I'll make arrangements for you to stay at the Blue Room," Alistair said. Turning to one of the guards he asked for Teagan. When the guard left, he turned again to the elderly woman standing in front of him. "Would you like anything to eat or drink while we wait for my advisor?"

"No, thank you," the elderly woman smiled. "But I do request a meeting with you and your advisor at your earliest convenience."

"Certainly."

"Leliana, I must ask you to travel to Kirkwall. You are to meet with Cassandra Pentaghast there. Hopefully we can find the Champion and ask her to try to stop the templar-mage war, even though it seems imminent."

Leliana inclined her head in agreement. She was far too troubled to reply. The only thing on her mind was to find Fergus and talk to him.

The Divine smiled affectionately at her before speaking. "Go see your husband. I will be fine here."

"Thank you, Your Grace," Leliana murmured. She inclined her head then left the room, her heart hammering loudly in her chest as each step she took brought her closer to her husband.

It was time to set things right.

…

The baby was making gurgling noises. Fenris's eyes flew wide open. He turned to Rilka, only to find her in a deep sleep. She was so exhausted that he thought she should sleep. Smiling lovingly at her, he bent down and kissed her rosy cheek. Then he sat up in bed, moving slowly so that he would not wake her.

When he got to the cradle on the far end of the room, he peered inside. His son regarded him with a most serious expression. Fenris could not help the grin on his face. For a few moments the father stared at the son and the son did the same. Then the baby's lips turned up at the corners of his mouth.

His son was smiling at him.

Fenris's eyes grew moist as he bent over the baby.

"I love you, my son," he whispered. The baby cooed at him, moving his little arms and legs. Fenris grinned. "Let's not wake your mother. She needs to rest."

His son smiled again, and gurgled happily. Fenris choked back a laugh. His son's small hand encircled his finger and squeezed hard.

"You'll be a fine warrior, won't you?"

His son moved his arms and legs again, making the same sounds he had a few moments earlier.

"Of course, you could be a mage as well. How do I feel about that, I wonder?"

The baby cooed in response, and squeezed his father's finger again. Fenris chuckled.

"Your mother is a mage, after all. And I love your mother. I don't think it would bother me," Fenris smiled.

"Is he awake?" Rilka called from the bed.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to wake you," Fenris said contritely. "Yes, he's wide awake."

"He's probably hungry," Rilka replied. Fenris scooped him up and held him in his arms. His son had a patch of dark hair and bright green eyes. Like all babies that were born to elven-human couples, he had human features. Placing a soft kiss on his son's forehead, he handed him over to his mother.

His son smiled again as he suckled Rilka's breast and Fenris thought he had never seen anything so beautiful or perfect in his entire life.

Yes. He didn't think it would bother him at all…

…

"You're troubled. Anything I can do, love?" Anders asked, as he rubbed Faith's back affectionately. "They say I'm good with my hands…"

Faith chuckled, leaning forward to kiss him. Anders tightened his grip and kissed her back passionately.

"Mmmm," Faith hummed into his mouth.

Anders broke away from the kiss. "Not yet, sweetheart. Still recuperating," he grinned. Faith chuckled again, her eyes twinkling up at him. Then she shook her head.

"Everyone is leaving. I wish they would stay with me, I guess," she said sadly.

"Well, we're leaving too, you know," Anders murmured into her hair. He breathed in her scent, all flowery and lemony, and he smiled in spite of Faith's sadness.

"I know. It's just …" Faith shrugged, her brow furrowed. Anders captured her lips again, but in a chaste kiss this time.

"What is it, love?" He asked quietly. "I can't help if you don't tell me."

"I don't think you can help anyway. I just would love to take them with me everywhere. These are dangerous times. Who knows when we'll see them again? It's so uncertain, and I hate uncertainty."

"I know, love. It's hard, but they have to carry on with their lives."

Faith sighed, nodding immediately afterwards. Anders was right, of course. But that didn't stop it from hurting. She curled up on the bed, one of her hands under the pillow, her face a mere inches from his.

"So, we're going to go directly to Soldier's Peak first right?"

"Yes, love. The whole process is rather long," Anders said as a haunting expression came into his eyes.

"How long is 'long' exactly?" Faith frowned.

"Six months, give or take. Avernus is very thorough, though."

"Six months?" Faith echoed.

"It's a process," Anders said patiently, without revealing what that meant. He didn't want to add to her worries by explaining what the process entailed. Besides, she already knew it was unpleasant. Avernus had already explained it in a nutshell, but he hadn't given her all the gory details. "This is why it takes as long as it does."

"I know about the fevers," Faith frowned. "But you aren't going to describe the entire process, are you?" Faith's eyes bore into his very soul and Anders had a hard time keeping his emotions in check. Without prior warning, the memories of the whole ordeal that Alistair and Alyssa had been through came rushing at him like a tidal wave. He had witnessed their madness and pain. Anders gave Faith a weak smile.

"Well, it won't be a bed of roses, love," he finally admitted.

Faith sighed. "You have that look in your eyes again."

"What look?"

"The one you give me whenever you decide that telling me something is a bad option."

Anders said nothing to this. Instead, he brought his lips on hers, giving her the first of many more passionate kisses. Soon, Faith had forgotten what they had been talking about. Truth be told, she didn't even know where she was after a while.

When they came up for air, Anders gave her a predatory grin, while he conjured up some electric sparks.

"Anders…" Faith breathed, her eyes dark with longing.

"I aim to please, love."

…

_**A.N: The six-month process is detailed in my other fanfic "Dragon Age Revisited" in case you're curious! **_


	68. Right or Wrong

_**First of all my deepest thanks to all my wonderful reviewers: wheresilent, darkkchylde, sadiesadist, xx Twilight Princess xx, LadyDarksbane, KnightOfHolyLight, and MB18932. I want to also thank my lovely editors LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for doing such a fantastic job! Love you guys! Also, I keep forgetting to thank all the people who have put this fic on their favorites and alerts, sorry about that! **_

_**This chapter is really the start of my own version of Dragon Age 3, sort of. You'll see why! It will become a lot clearer in later chapters. :D **_

_**Yeah, yeah, Bioware owns! Whatever! LOL**_

_**Oh, and Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there! **_

Chapter 68 – Right or Wrong

"What are _you_ doing here?"

The question did not come as a surprise, though Leliana flinched from the pain and anger with which it was flung at her. She braced herself for the worst, but this did not stop her from taking a step forward to come to stand directly in front of him. If she faltered now, she would never be able to forgive herself.

"Fergus," she breathed. "Please let me at least tell you that when I left, the pain I felt increased tenfold. And I've been carrying it with me all these years. I love you – even though it would seem that I don't."

Fergus's eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline. "You have a strange way of showing your love, Leliana. I read all your letters, and they seemed like jumbled hypocrisy to me. Is the Chantry important enough to hurt others?"

Leliana's eyes opened wide with shock. She was feeling worse, if only because what he had suggested was the truth. "I know you will probably never forgive me, but I also know that if I had not come to Highever to see you, I would have probably gone crazy with guilt."

Fergus burst out laughing. It was not an amused laugh at all but a bitter one, and Leliana felt herself flinch again.

"You haven't gone crazy yet, so I think I'll choose to ignore your statement," Fergus managed to rasp out, once his laughter had subsided. He shook his head, the sadness in his eyes unbearable. "If you really love me, you'll leave me alone. I think I've had enough heartbreak to last me for the rest of my life."

"I also have to say that I'm staying in Ferelden," Leliana babbled out hurriedly.

Fergus's eyebrows knitted together and his eyes narrowed. "Surely you are not suggesting what I think you are?"

"The Divine doesn't own me, and she is here as well, living at the palace. She's a refugee of sorts now, thrown out of Orlais by necessity. Alistair was kind enough to take her in. Even if I am sworn to protect her I –"

Fergus held up his hand, motioning her to keep quiet. Leliana held her tongue, her eyes stinging with unshed tears.

"I don't know if I will ever forgive you, Leliana. But you are my wife. If you need a place to stay, you can stay here."

"You would do this? Even after I abandoned you?"

Fergus nodded at this. "I don't think I'll trust you, but I can offer you a place to stay. I'm not a monster."

With those words, Fergus turned away, heading to the east wing of the castle. Leliana's eyes followed him and finally the tears she had been holding back fell.

_No, Fergus. You aren't the monster here. I am._

Pausing only to look around the main hall, she let her mind wander for a few moments, reliving the time when they had been so happy together. The tears fell faster.

Leliana turned and went out the door without looking back. She would go back to Denerim. She dared not stay, even if Fergus had kindly offered her a place at the castle. She didn't want to hurt him anymore than she had already.

…

The ship creaked a lot during the night. This, of course, was not the real reason that Faith was awake. Her eyes fell on Anders's sleeping form next to her and she felt fear squeezing her heart yet again. She was having second thoughts about the ritual. What if Anders died in the process? Faith shook her head. The movement was enough to wake Anders up and she frowned briefly.

"Mmmm. What's wrong, love?" Anders asked sleepily, one of his arms falling on her stomach then snaking to her back as he embraced her gently.

"Nothing," Faith murmured back. "Go back to sleep."

Anders's face was half-buried in the pillow, so he opened one eye and blinked back at her sleepily.

"Nothing?" He echoed, fixing his gaze on her face. "Doesn't look like 'nothing' to me. Doesn't feel like it either." His grip on her tightened slightly.

"Why is it that you know me so well? Andraste's tits!" Faith sighed under her breath, fixing her eyes on the rafters above them.

Anders yawned, stretching as he sat up to regard her better, a smile on his face.

"Well, you do have an expressive face so it's really not that hard to read you, my love." His smile turned to a grin when she rolled her eyes at him. Leaning forward, he captured the pout that followed on her lips, eliciting a moan from her.

"You are such a good kisser," Faith sighed when they came up for air. "And you're good at making me forget all the bad things."

Anders chuckled. "Well, I'm glad to see that you've lightened up, then. Although you still haven't told me what's bothering you."

"I'm just so worried about this, this – ritual," Faith frowned, a deep sigh escaping her lips. She shook her head and fixed her eyes on his. "What if something goes wrong?"

"I can't die while going through the process, now that Justice is gone. So the only thing that you have to worry about is that I can go completely mad," Anders said cheerfully.

"Oh, that makes me feel _so _much better," Faith glared at him.

"Ah, your sarcasm is one of the things that made me fall in love with you."

"Liar."

"I can put you to sleep, you know. Just to stop you from calling me all these terrible names," Anders retorted. He made a funny little wriggling movement with his fingers around her face and Faith's reaction was to burst out laughing and climb onto his lap.

"Oh, careful there," Anders whispered as she settled herself where she wanted to be. His arousal throbbed and Faith gave him a predatory grin, wiggling forward.

"Do you really want to put a sleeping spell on me now?" Faith purred.

"Maker, love. You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

And Faith just leaned forward and captured his lips in a passionate kiss.

…

Leliana heard what the Divine was saying, yet did not react immediately to the words.

"Are you all right, child?" Justinia asked with concern.

"I – just thought that you would be sending somebody else, Your Grace," Leliana whispered.

"And who did you think I would send? It is only you and me here. Cassandra is already there, as is the army who is still loyal to me."

Leliana inclined her head, not daring to look at the elderly woman directly. But the Divine knew very well what was plaguing her.

"After you do this, I want to release you. You are to go back to your husband and try to live as happily as you can, my child."

Leliana nodded, quelling the faint flutter of hope inside. It wasn't that she was happy with the Divine's words. In fact it was what she had hoped for all these years. She really loved Fergus and to finally be able to stand in front of him and tell him that she would never leave again was something that caused a rush of hope and happiness into her heart. But Fergus was still angry at her, and she wondered if he would ever forgive her.

"And now I can see sadness all over your face, my dear," the Divine murmured.

"I – I just don't know if he will forgive me," Leliana stammered out.

"I think he already has. He just doesn't know it yet," the elderly woman smiled affectionately at Leliana. "These things have a way of working themselves out. You'll see."

…

Varric walked into his room in the Hanged Man smiling at the furniture, while humming Bianca's song softly to himself. The only thing he hadn't liked about the journey back to Kirkwall was Faith bursting into tears when they had dropped her and Anders off at the docks in Amaranthine. It had taken quite some time before he had managed to control the tears that had threatened to fall, but he had managed to do so. He promised her that they would meet up again, and it was then that he realized that he would be keeping his promise. So far, upon arrival at The Hanged Man, he had received the news that his book was selling well. He smiled again, mentally patting himself on his back for having sent out the manuscript back to Kirkwall through the Merchants Guild. Since everyone had been looking for the Champion, his book had to be reprinted several times – more times than any of the rest of his books had been printed in the past.

He unsheathed Bianca, carefully setting her down on the table, and then turned to the door to call Norah. He wanted a hot bath and a hot meal – in that order. As soon as he opened the door, a gauntleted fist met his face with such force that he stumbled backwards. Before losing consciousness, he was vaguely aware that he would not be taking that bath after all.

He woke to find himself being dragged through the streets of Kirkwall and up a series of stone steps until they reached a house. Varric opened his eyes and received a mental jolt. He recognized the house that he was in and caught a glimpse of a struggling Charade and Gamlen in one of the rooms. He still feigned to be knocked out cold, for he had no doubt that he would be beaten senseless if he dared to escape.

He was flung into a large chair which he recognized, and grunted softly when his head hit the chair's thick wooden back. His grunt turned into a strangled chuckle and he peered through the dim half-light of the room at a lone figure that was walking slowly towards him. He shook his head to clear it and then saw that it was a woman dressed in armor. He barely had time to register the fact that she was not a templar, but relief flooded over him in spite of this.

"I've had gentler invitations," Varric chuckled again, and the two men that were holding him to the armchair shoved him back and he grunted. Varric looked up at the woman. An attractive pair of honey brown eyes looked back at him. She walked over to him and lifted a heavy book to his face. Varric understood as soon as he read the title on the cover. He was looking at a book which was selling well. It also happened to be the book that he had sent out through the Merchants Guild many months before: the book that was bringing him more coin than any book he had ever written.

The book that told the story of Hawke and her companions.

"I am Cassandra Pentaghast, seeker of the Chantry," the woman said, the arrogance in her tone not escaping Varric. "Time to start talking, dwarf. They tell me you are good at it."

Varric relaxed, his eyes on his hands. "What do you want me to say, Seeker?"

"Tell me about the Champion," Cassandra practically growled at him.

Varric's eyes focused on his fingernails, and his next words drawled out, feigning utter disinterest.

"Which one?"

The woman let out an angry scream, and flung the book at him, then quickly took out a dagger, plunging it into the book. Varric slowly turned the book over. The dagger had neatly cut through the pages and jutted out the other end. He mentally thanked Andraste fervently that the dagger had not pierced his crotch.

"What is it that you want to know?" Varric asked slowly.

"Everything. Start at the beginning."

…

"He's fast asleep," Fenris said, his gravelly voice a whisper.

"He's exhausted, poor dear. I didn't think our walk around the farm would tire him out so," Rilka murmured, her eyes fixed on her son's chubby face.

"We should decide what we are going to name him, my love," Fenris said, taking her hand in his.

"Come, let's sit at the table. Orana has dinner waiting for us," Rilka said softly, tugging at his hand and leading him out of the room.

They ate their dinner in silence, but once they were done, Rilka turned to Fenris and smiled.

"I have a name for our son, and I wanted to talk to you about it."

Fenris nodded. "I'm grateful you've thought of a name. I'm not very good with names."

Rilka bit her lower lip for a few moments, then shook her head. When she met Fenris's eyes again, her eyes were firm and resolute. "I want to call him Leto."

Fenris's jaw dropped. He blinked back at her, unable to utter a word. Rilka took this to her advantage.

"Think about it, love. He would live a free life, a happy life. The kind of life 'Leto' should have lived but did not. He would put an end to the curse behind that name. He would be loved and protected by his parents. He would _never_ become a slave, never live the horrors that – that –" Rilka's voice choked, and she took Fenris's hand in hers, squeezing it gently.

Fenris did not speak, and Rilka misunderstood his silence for disapproval. "Of course, if you don't want us to name him Leto, we can think of other names for him. I – I just don't want you to be upset, please?"

Fenris found his voice at last. "Upset? You think I'm upset? No, my love. I'm not upset. You – surprised me, that's all."

Rilka nodded, bowing to kiss the knuckles of his hand before fixing her honey-colored eyes on his again.

Fenris swallowed, and stretched out his hand to gently caress her cheek.

"Rilka, what you said made perfect sense," he murmured. "Leto did not live a good life at all. But this time I'm certain that our Leto will not live through that. It is a good name."

"It's a name that deserves to live a good life," Rilka whispered.

"And we'll make it happen," Fenris whispered, leaning forward and placing his forehead on hers. "We'll make it happen for certain."

…

Merrill's eyes grew wide. The shadows were lifting and finally she was taking a glimpse into the world beyond. The Eluvian was humming, and its mirrored surface rippled gently.

"Ancestors guide me," Merrill muttered as she focused on what looked like the outline of a city in the horizon. She focused harder, willing the fog to lift. Her gaze suddenly found and fixed itself on two figures. One of them, a woman dressed in scanty clothes was looking down haughtily at another woman, who was on her hands and knees and breathing with much difficulty.

Merrill's eyes were now so wide that they threatened to pop out of their sockets. She did not know these women, but she knew that the one on her hands and knees was in pain. She let out a gasp and the woman who was standing lifted her head, looking around her. Merrill bit her lower lip in concern. How could that woman have heard her? She was standing on the other side of the mirror after all!

But the other woman now fixed her eyes directly in front of her and frowned. Merrill gazed into the yellow eyes for a few moments before she blinked hers shut. What she was looking at was impossible, insane. She knew that woman, of course she did. Fear gripped her heart. She had to get away, before she ended up in pieces hanging from a tree or something. Calling upon the force in her, she severed the tie to the Eluvian before her and fell to her knees, utterly exhausted.

When she stood up and looked at the Eluvian again, it was silent and the glass surface looked back innocently at her, free from the images that had been swirling in its depths moments before.

Turning around, Merrill ran out of the chamber with one thought in her mind: She had to find the Keeper fast.

…


	69. Potions and Rituals

_**Thanks so much LadyDarksbane, xx Twilight Princess xx, MB18932, grumpygirl666, sadiesadist, KnightOfHolyLight, and BearMage for your awesome reviews! I also want to thank LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for their wonderful editing skills! Love you guys! :D **_

_**Bioware owns blah, blah, blah…**_

Chapter 69 – Potions and Rituals

"Avernus," Anders called out quietly. His gaze fell on the raised dais at the far end of the room, where a figure stood, bent over something on the table.

"So," the figure replied, as it straightened up and walked towards them. "You did manage to send your friend back to the Fade. I am impressed."

Anders gave him a nervous smile and nodded once to his comment. "What can I say? I'm a bit stubborn."

Avernus smiled back. "I don't think stubbornness has anything to do with it." He glanced at Faith and then his eyes fixed themselves on Anders once again. "But you are here, and we can begin the process as soon as you are ready."

"I can't wait," Anders said quietly. The sarcasm in his voice wasn't lost to Faith, however, and she stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm.

"Wait." The two men in the room turned a puzzled glance at her. "I want to know what this 'process' is exactly. What's going to happen to Anders? Will he be in pain?"

"He will be in pain," Avernus replied. "He will suffer from hallucinations and feel constant hunger. This is because the taint will be fighting back."

"Hunger?" Faith frowned.

"Hunger for food, hunger for sex, hunger for human flesh. He will lose himself completely before the taint is contained," Avernus replied.

Faith's frown deepened. Avernus was looking at her curiously, but his gaze shifted to Anders. "You have not told her." It was more of a statement than a question, but Anders shook his head and replied nonetheless.

"I didn't want her to know beforehand because I know how much she worries," he said quietly. "Just make sure the iron door is secure and the lock is sound."

"Iron door? Lock?" Faith asked, a wisp of fear creeping through her body.

Avernus turned to her, a smile on his face. "He will be locked up, child. If not, he _will_ attack and kill you."

Faith's eyes widened slightly. She tried to speak but found out that she could not. She felt Anders's hand on hers, squeezing it gently. "It's all right, love. It will all be worth it, you'll see," he whispered hoarsely.

"I'll show you both to your rooms. Come. We've wasted more time than necessary," Avernus said, walking towards the door.

...

Soldier's Peak was close to Vigil's Keep in Amaranthine, and Queen Alyssa, who had once been Warden-commander, had given the order for the keep to be another Warden base for training. The Ferelden Wardens stopped by the keep from time to time, but at the moment it was quite empty, aside from the servants who kept the place clean. They stayed away from Avernus's tower, however, and were somewhat shocked to see him sitting at the dinner table with Faith and Anders that evening.

Anders had just drunk the first dose of the potion and was feeling giddy. Two of the cleaning girls dissolved into giggles every time they approached the table to serve water or take away dirty dishes because Anders would wink at them every time.

"I'm sitting right here, you know," Faith sighed when Anders winked at them for what she thought was the hundredth time.

"Aww, love. You know you're the only woman for me," Anders crooned, giving her a puppy-eyed look. Faith snorted and looked away, her lips vaguely twitching as she tried to keep from smiling.

"What else are you feeling, Anders? Are you hungrier than usual?" Avernus asked interestedly.

"No, not hungrier than usual," Anders replied. He slid his hand under both the table and tablecloth, instantly finding Faith's leg. Faith jumped a little but did not say anything.

"So it's just a feeling of utter happiness? That's it?" Avernus pressed.

"Happiness and…well, _desire_, I think," Anders replied, stressing the word 'desire', his eyes on Faith as his hand made its way up her thigh. Faith licked her lips and kept her eyes on the plate before her.

Avernus bent down to write in a leather-bound book that he had brought with him, and Anders leaned forward at the same time his hand found its way to Faith's panties.

"I want you now. What can we do about that?" Anders's whisper had her biting her lower lip and she tried to get his hand off her, but he had snaked it under her panties and his fingers were parting her curls already. She gave a gasp and Avernus looked up sharply, meeting Anders's innocent gaze.

"No control, I see," Avernus stated, bending down to write in his journal again. Anders's fingers started to massage Faith's nub and she gasped again but this time turned to look at him with wide eyes. She shook her head and grabbed his arm, trying to unsuccessfully pull his hand out of her panties.

"I'm not stupid, you know," Avernus said without looking up.

Anders burst out laughing.

Avernus sighed. Turning to one of the girls he ordered them to hurry up with the rest of the food. Anders now had both hands on the table, and Faith's cheeks were a bright crimson color as she reached for more water.

"I'm done eating, actually," Anders said. "We're tired from the journey and must get some rest, right love?"

Faith nodded woodenly, keeping her eyes downcast. Avernus pursed his lips and he nodded.

They stood up at the same time, bade Avernus good night and head out the room. As soon as they were out of sight, Anders took Faith in his arms and began kissing her passionately.

"Maker's breath, Anders!" Faith managed to moan in between kisses. "Can't you at least wait until we get to our room?"

"All right, love. I'll behave," Anders pouted. "But once we get there, I won't hold back."

"Neither will I."

…

When Alyssa opened her eyes, she found herself looking at two very concerned elves. Both were women, and both had intricate tattoos on their faces. They looked Dalish. She tried to sit up but a wave of pain shot through her body.

"Easy there, friend," the elder elf said. "You were hurt very badly. I have cast a healing spell on you, but you are still very weak. Healing is not my forte and you will need to rest before you recover completely."

"Where – where am I?" Alyssa gasped out. The pain in her chest was increasing and she was finding it difficult to breathe.

"You're in a Dalish camp, in Llomerryn," the younger elf said, her large green eyes fixed on Alyssa's face. "We saved you from a certain death and have disabled the Eluvian. For now, you are safe. My name is Merrill and that is our keeper, and you don't have to tell us your name, though you may want to tell us what you were doing in that place? I thought humans couldn't –"

"Merrill," Keeper Tanneera interrupted with a smile. "I think our guest needs to rest, not be told everything at once, yes?"

"Of course," Merrill said, bowing her head contritely. "I don't want her to feel overwhelmed. I'm sorry."

"My name is Alyssa," Alyssa whispered. "I went through the mirror because I was following orders. I'm a Grey Warden." Alyssa shut her eyes and squeezed them as she gasped for breath. "The rest of my companions died by Flemeth's hand. I am the sole survivor."

The keeper produced a flask that contained elfroot and other medicinal herbs. "Please, child. Drink this. It will make you feel better."

Merrill helped Alyssa sit up and held her as she drank the potion. As soon as she had finished, she helped her lie back gently on the pillows.

"You need to sleep," Keeper Tanneera said in a soft, musical voice. "We can talk when you are stronger."

Alyssa fell asleep almost instantly and the keeper turned a worried face to Merrill.

"We need to get her to a good healer, da'len. Asha' bellanar's magic is too strong and my healing abilities cannot heal her properly."

"Anders could heal her, he can heal anything," Merrill said.

"You must go find him, da'len," the keeper urged.

Merrill nodded and glanced at Alyssa's ashen face before she hurried out of the Dalish aravel. It seemed that she would be seeing her friends again after all.

…

"Gone? What do you mean 'gone'? He isn't in Llomerryn anymore?" Merrill frowned, trying to make sense of Rilka's words.

"That's what I said, Merrill. Anders and Faith must be in Ferelden by now."

"Oh! I need a healer! Urgently!" Merrill's voice was taking a desperate tone and Rilka stepped closer to her.

"I'm also a healer, Merrill. Not as good as Anders, but I can heal pretty well. Who is hurt?" Rilka asked kindly.

"We rescued someone. From a land beyond, in the Eluvian, I can't explain right now. It's too complicated. But she is really hurt, and Keeper Tanneera is not a healer."

"I'll stay with Leto," Fenris said quietly before Rilka could turn to speak to him. "Go."

"And this is just one of the reasons why I love you," Rilka replied as she kissed him gently on the lips. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

…

Rilka walked back to where Keeper Tanneera and Merrill were standing.

"I've done what I can. I doubt she will wake, though. The curse inflicted on her was a terrible one and my magic isn't strong enough to fight it."

Merrill bit her lower lip, clearly concerned for the human that was lying in a comatose state in her aravel. She nodded her head sadly, her huge eyes on Rilka's face.

"If only Anders was here. I'm sure he could help her," Merrill said sadly. Then gave a little gasp when she realized what she had said. "Oh! I don't mean to say you haven't helped, Rilka! I know you have helped a great deal! Sorry!"

Rilka chuckled, shaking her head. "That's all right, Merrill. I happen to agree with you. Anders would probably be able to at least fight the curse and perform a deeper scan. I truly am sorry that I cannot do anything else."

"I wish I could travel quickly to wherever he is," Merrill commented, her brow furrowed. "I could beg him to come and cure her. She is a Grey Warden, and I'm sure she was there to do something heroic and good. I mean, Grey Wardens do that, don't they?"

"She's a Grey Warden also?" Rilka asked, puzzled. "While I was scanning her, she grabbed my hand and whispered she was the queen of Ferelden."

"The queen of Ferelden?" Merrill echoed. "I – I don't think…"

"We should send out a message all the same. Maybe the queen is missing or something?" Rilka suggested.

Merrill nodded in agreement, her eyes on the figure lying on her bed. She genuinely felt sorry for her and every time she closed her eyes all she saw were Asha' bellanar's yellow eyes staring intently at her.

…

The third month of the process was the significant month that brought about the violent change in Anders. His temper would flare up and he would yell at the servants or at Faith frequently. Avernus put him in another room. The room with the iron door and secure lock that they had spoken about when they had first arrived.

After this, things started to spiral downward quickly. Anders ranted and raved, often trying to escape. He mainly was furious at the fact that given his expertise with escapes throughout the time he'd spent in the circle, try as he might, he could not escape from this prison. He would beg Faith to open the door and howl for her during the night. Faith was glad the room was so tightly secure. She was genuinely afraid.

Anders retained some of his sanity still. On those days, he would sit and talk softly to Faith and murmur that he loved her. As time progressed, however, those days became fewer and fewer as he descended into a madness that filled Faith's heart with terror.

By the time the fevers started, Faith's days became an unending nightmare. Avernus had to cast sleeping spells on Anders frequently because he could use his magic to hurt people who approached the iron door. As a result, sometimes Anders would awake during the night, and his screams and howls could be heard throughout the keep. Faith only saw him twice in the next couple of months. Both times he had been thrashing on the bed, covered in sweat, unconscious. Avernus began to show signs of strain. It was obvious that Anders's magic was powerful and even Avernus was having trouble keeping it at bay.

There was also the fact that Anders was now behaving like a complete madman, and did not care about the things he did to himself, so Avernus had to keep him sleeping as much as he could. The fevers would come and go to add to their concern. Faith marveled at Avernus's patience throughout the entire procedure. She thought she would go mad herself and often fell asleep clutching her pillow, tears streaming down her cheeks as she prayed to Andraste and the Maker for help.

Then, one night, six months later, the fevers stopped. Anders opened his eyes and his soft voice called out for Faith. Avernus called her to the room, and together they worked to help Anders sit up and eat.

"I'm sorry if I did anything to –" Anders murmured, but Faith quickly interrupted him.

"It's fine, my love. I'm so glad this is over."

Avernus, who was performing a routine scan on Anders, frowned. He quickly started to scan again, and then a third time. Anders turned a puzzled look at him.

"What is it?"

"The Taint. It's not as contained as I would have hoped," Avernus said, shaking his head.

"What! What do you mean?" Anders hurried to ask.

"I can't understand what's gone wrong. Unless this treatment is less powerful if you have been a Grey Warden for a long time. That must be it. When the king and queen came here for their treatments, they hadn't been carrying the Taint for too long. It's the only plausible explanation."

Faith's mouth opened in shock and a gasp escaped her lips.

"Does this mean that all this was for nothing?" She asked, trying to keep the hysteria she was feeling from her voice.

"No. Not for nothing," Avernus rapidly replied. "The taint has been contained, but not as much as it should have been."

"Meaning what, exactly?" Anders quickly asked.

"It means that if you are still alive thirty years from now, give or take, you _will_ experience your calling, and you will need to go to the Deep Roads." Avernus shook his head, his eyes troubled. Looking away, he bent his head, as if in deep thought.

"So, we have thirty more years together, is that it?" Faith's quiet voice caused Anders to grab her hand gently and squeeze it. She could not take it anymore. The tears started to fall and he gave a gasp and took her in his arms.

"Thirty years at the most. I'll have to see if there is a solution for all of this," Avernus said thoughtfully. "I'll send the servants over to prepare a bath for you and bring you some food."

As he walked away, Faith sobbed and shook her head.

"I refuse to lose you to the taint, Anders! I won't allow it!" She exclaimed fervently. "There must be another way!"

Anders held her close sadly, unable to reply for a few minutes. Faith looked up so suddenly that he leaned back quickly to look at her.

"Didn't Brother Genitivi know something about the Taint? We could go see him, Anders! Maybe…I don't know. Maybe the Urn of Sacred Ashes could help us!"

Anders's sad gaze fell on Faith's hopeful expression. He nodded automatically, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Faith was grinning and he captured her lips in a loving kiss. This was his Faith – a woman who never gave up and who strived to find solutions to any problem that she faced.

"We'll do whatever it takes, love. Once I'm feeling better we'll set off for Denerim at once."

…


	70. The Search for the Ashes, Part 1

_**My thanks to all who have reviewed: LadyDarksbane, KnightOfHolyLight, xx Twilight Princess xx and MB18932. I just love your reviews! I also want to thank my fantabulous beta readers: LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat! You guys rock! **_

_**Ok, this was going to be one chapter, but when I saw that it would be too long, I decided to split it. I hope you like it, and all feedback is most welcome and appreciated! :D **_

_**Bioware owns, blah, blah, blah. **_

Chapter 70 – The Search for the Ashes, Part 1

They had been walking for some time heading towards the palace when they found a lovely clearing close to a small lake. As soon as Anders had set up the tent, Faith made her way towards the lake shore with Anders trailing behind. It was a warm day. Faith stripped, looking back coyly at Anders and then stepped into the lake. Anders grinned and followed suit. Soon they were splashing water at each other. Anders grabbed her and kissed her passionately while Faith did not waste any time in wrapping her legs around his waist. He groaned as she pressed herself against his arousal.

"My love," Anders rasped hoarsely. His eyes raked over her naked body as he half-carried her to the lake shore, where she promptly disentangled herself from his arms and sprinted into a run towards the tent they had set up. Faith was quick, but Anders was a fast runner and he caught her at the entrance of the tent. They wrestled with each other playfully and ended up kissing each other on top of their bedrolls.

Their love-making was passionate enough as Anders had told her earlier that they had to catch up from not having sex during the time he had been locked up at the Keep. When they were spent, they lay back and soon fell asleep.

When Faith woke up, it was dark. She could make out the objects in the tent and what really worried her was that Anders was not lying beside her. She put on her leather jerkin and stooped down to walk outside, closing the flap tightly behind her.

He was sitting quietly in front of a fire which she guessed he had built. Smiling, she made her way to it and sat next to him. He smiled his sidelong smile and put an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"I managed to lure and trap a rabbit so there's plenty to eat, love."

"So I see," Faith smiled.

The rabbit was delicious, for Anders had a knack for cooking well.

"Mmmm. Now I know why I married you," Faith commented between mouthfuls of food.

"I knew you loved me only for my cooking," Anders replied in mock hurt tones.

"Don't forget your healing," Faith chuckled.

"And the sex, too, I bet."

Faith burst out laughing and nudged him with her elbow then returned to eating her meal, which she promptly finished.

Anders watched her closely, a happy smile on his face and a song in his heart. He was confident that happier times lay ahead for the both of them in the months ahead. Somehow he knew they would get the ashes and everything would be better. After all, they had been through so much pain.

"You look like it's your birthday or something." Faith's voice cut through his thoughts and he turned to smile at her.

"Well, it seems that I'm getting what I wished for some time ago when I was young and reckless."

"You aren't that old, you know," Faith protested and Anders grinned.

"Right, because if I'm old, then you're old too."

"Hey! I'm four years younger and don't you forget it," Faith cried out indignantly. Anders burst out laughing. "Anyway, what is it that you wished for?"

"Well, all I wanted in life was a pretty girl, a good meal and the chance to shoot lightning at fools," Anders whispered back as he leaned forward. His lips captured hers gently in a chaste kiss. "I love you with all my heart, Faith. Thank the Maker you walked into my clinic looking for maps into the Deep Roads."

…

"Your Majesty – um, Alistair," Teagan said as he stepped into the room. "The nobles are waiting in the throne room."

"I can't, Teagan," Alistair said in a strangled voice. "Once again I must ask you to sit in for me."

Teagan nodded sadly, his gaze falling briefly at the figure lying on the huge bed. Alistair bowed his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Anders and Faith are heading this way. At least this is what Avernus told the messenger at the Keep," Teagan said softly. Alistair nodded, but did not turn to look at Teagan – not even when he spoke.

"Have them brought here as soon as they arrive, Teagan."

"Of course, Alistair. If you need anything, please let me know…" Teagan's voice trailed off as Alistair turned to glance at him briefly. The king had the saddest expression on his face, one that Teagan had seen before but still affected him. He frowned, trying to grope for the right words to say, but discovered there were no comforting words to offer him. Alistair was beyond comforting.

"Just leave me, Teagan," Alistair said quietly. "Go tend to the nobles."

Teagan bowed his head briefly and glanced back at the figure on the bed sadly. The Queen of Ferelden lay on the bed, breathing heavily in a comatose state. She had been this way for months, ever since the Dalish elves had brought her. One of them, an elven mage by the name of Merrill had asked to stay and help, so the king had acquiesced to her wish. She had tried to help with various spells, but nothing had worked so far.

Alyssa Theirin would not wake.

…

Guards surrounded them at the palace gates.

"Hey! We're friends of –"Anders started indignantly, but the guards had grabbed them and were forcibly taking them somewhere in a hurry.

"Take your hands off me, you idiots!" Faith snarled, but the guards only held on harder.

Both Faith and Anders relaxed considerably when they saw they were not being taken to the dungeons, but up to the living quarters. They soon found themselves at the doors to the royal chambers. One of the guards knocked and after a few minutes the door was flung open.

They stood there looking at a haggard Alistair, who promptly gave Anders a bear hug and patted Faith's shoulder. Anders's gaze swept the room and he disentangled himself from Alistair's hug. Before Alistair could even utter a word, Anders had already crossed the huge room and was bending over Alyssa.

Faith's eyes opened wide at the scene before her.

"I'm – so glad you both are here," Alistair said with a sigh of relief.

"How long has she been like this?" Anders quickly asked, his brow furrowed.

"A few months. Some Dalish elves brought her like this already. One of them stayed on. I'll have a guard call her here so she can explain in detail what happened."

As soon as Alistair had talked to the guard at the door and had come back, Anders turned around to face him.

"She's been hexed. It looks like the work of a demon, but I can't be sure until I speak to the person who brought her. Does she know what happened to her?"

Alistair nodded. "She was there, or rather watching what happened. I can't understand exactly how. It's better if you hear it from her."

At that moment there was a knock at the door and Alistair opened it. Faith gave a cry and stepped forward, while Anders's eyes opened wide with surprise.

"Merrill!" Faith cried as she rushed forward to embrace her.

…

"Yes, Lethallan, I saw Asha'Bellanar. It was her, though she was younger. I don't know how she was younger, but she was. She hexed her, though we managed to keep the curse from spreading for a little while. But Asha'Bellanar's magic is strong and she fell into this endless sleep after a few weeks. That is when we realized that we had to bring her here. She had told us she was the Queen of Ferelden and a Grey Warden. She must have been doing something with other Wardens because she told us that Asha'Bellanar had killed her companions. I've been trying to help, but I can't wake her. But you're here and Anders can probably do it! You can heal her, right Anders? You can heal anyone!"

Anders shook his head. "I can't, Merrill. This is ancient magic and very strong. It looks like a demon had a lot to do with the curse."

Alistair's face, which had been hopeful, fell at Anders's admission. "You can't do anything at all for her? Maker!"

Faith turned to Alistair. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't this happened before? Wasn't the Arl of Redcliffe in a comatose state because of a demon? You two told us this tale when we last visited here and I remember it well."

"Of course!" Alistair exclaimed excitedly. "The Ashes of Andraste!"

"Genitivi knows where they are, right?" Anders hurried to ask.

Alistair frowned. "Not anymore. The ashes were in some Tevinter Ruins at the top of a mountain in a small village called Haven. But a few years after the first expedition arrived there and after the first pilgrims visited the shrine, the ashes suddenly disappeared. This is why Genitivi is here in the palace, but he travels from time to time. I do think he has been doing extensive research on the place the ashes are now, however. Maybe he has a clue of where to look."

"Let's speak to him, then!" Faith smiled.

Alistair did not have to be told twice and hurried to the door to tell the guard there to get Genitivi. Faith was happy to notice that the sad, lost expression on his face was gone, and he was smiling again.

…

It turned out that Genitivi had heard rumors to suggest that the Ashes were somewhere in the Frostback Mountains in the Northwest, past Gherlen's Pass and the entrance to Orzammar. They would have to mount an expedition at once to see if the rumors were true.

As they were walking towards the dining area, they met Aveline on the way. Faith practically threw herself into Aveline's arms and laughed at the surprised look on her face. They were late for dinner, but Alistair was in a relaxed mood and grinning when they arrived. As soon as he discovered why they were late, he had a guard call Aveline and Donnic to sit at the table with them.

The meal was a cheerful one, and they talked long into the night. Faith was smiling happily and laughing at everything Anders said.

"This is wonderful! Almost like being back at The Hanged Man!" Faith exclaimed.

"Yes. I can see how the palace dining area looks just like it," Anders drawled out sarcastically.

Even Aveline burst out laughing at that comment.

Before they said their goodnights, Aveline requested Alistair permission to accompany Faith and Anders on their quest to the ashes. Alistair agreed immediately and Faith practically squealed with delight.

Anders had to almost drag her out of the room after that.

…

A week later, when they had finished gathering up their supplies, there was a commotion at the palace gates. A few guards walked into the throne room, where Alistair was sitting with Teagan at the weekly meeting with the nobles.

"Begging your pardon, Your Highness, but there are two people here that say they know you and the Queen and are asking for an audience," the guard said hurriedly, on bended knee.

Alistair nodded and soon the doors to the throne room opened. The King threw back his head and laughed when he saw who was approaching the table.

Zevran wore a perpetual smirk on his face, but the lovely pirate woman beside him was frowning and glaring at the guards.

"Zevran! And the lovely Isabela! And with such a happy expression on her face, too," Alistair quipped.

Isabela merely rolled her eyes, but Zevran was swept into a bear hug in front of the nobles assembled there who looked properly shocked.

"Gentlemen, may I introduce Ser Zevran Arainai who accompanied the queen and myself to defeat the Blight?" Alistair smirked. The nobles quickly changed the expressions on their faces and murmured their hellos quietly. "Now if you'll excuse me, I will have to take your leave."

Alistair stood up and led them to the library, where he knew that Faith, Anders and Genitivi were, discussing the expedition. By the time he opened the door and led them into the room, he was already grinning in anticipation.

This time, Faith gave a scream as she hurried to embrace her friends. Anders, who had been smiling, chuckled as Zevran and Isabela were caught up in the whirlwind that was Faith. His grin quickly turned into a chuckle.

It looked like the trip to the Frostback Mountains was going to be extremely exciting.

…


	71. The Search for the Ashes, Part 2

_**Thank you darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane, sadiesadist, xx Twilight Princess xx, KnightOfHolyLight, MB18932 for your awesome reviews! I also want to thank my wonderful editors LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for their wonderful editing skills! You guys rock! :D**_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 71 – The Search for the Ashes, Part 2

"So you're back," Alistair commented, his lips drawn together in a grimace.

"You'll never forgive me, isn't that right?" Leliana replied. "I don't think I deserve it, anyway. I know Fergus never will."

"I have things to do," Alistair shot back, shifting on one foot and then the other somewhat impatiently. "What do you want?"

"I – I just wanted to know how she is doing, I – I'm worried about her." Leliana stumbled over her words, her cheeks flushed. "The Divine is worried as well."

Alistair flung his head back, his laughter causing Leliana's flush to deepen. When he was done laughing, he turned his gaze back on her and she flinched, for she had never seen that look on his face before.

"The Divine only cares about her mage-templar war, and not being found. You can assure her that she won't. This is why she never leaves her quarters, and I'm sure you've realized this before."

"She only wishes to stop the war, to avoid more death. Surely you are not suggesting –"

"I am not suggesting anything. I'm too worried and tired to suggest anything anyway," Alistair interrupted. "Just let me go to back to my wife, and leave me alone, Leliana. At least now something is being done about it…"

"What do you mean?" Leliana asked.

"Well, there's an expedition to search for the ashes that has already left. Brother Genitivi is going with them, of course."

Leliana's face fell, obviously disappointed that she wasn't going with them, while Alistair merely fidgeted, anxious to get back to Alyssa.

"I – where are they now? Maybe I can join them? I've been researching the ashes also, so I may be of some help," she offered.

Alistair tilted his head to one side, obviously considering what Leliana had just said. On the one hand, she had hurt Fergus - someone he held very dear - but on the other she was right, for there was no one that knew more about the ashes aside from Brother Genitivi.

After a few moments of strained silence, Alistair sighed, and then nodded. "Very well. They were heading up to a place past Orzammar, through Gherlen's Pass. The ashes are rumored to be somewhere deep in the Frostback Mountains this time. See what you can do."

Leliana's whole face lit up. "Thank you so much, Your Majesty. You won't regret this."

For a few moments, the image of Leliana begging Alyssa to go with them to help defeat the Blight so many years ago came rushing through and Alistair could not help the smile that escaped his lips. It startled Leliana somewhat, but it quickly was gone again, and she only found herself staring at a face of a man that was deeply troubled.

"Oh. Just help get the ashes, Leliana," he said quietly, then shrugged. "And it's Alistair. I still feel uncomfortable when someone who knows me calls me king, you know."

…

They had been traveling long into the night, and just when Faith felt that she could not take another step, Anders suggested they set up camp.

They all busied themselves setting up the tents in a small clearing. Faith took her bow and tied a quiver full of arrows on her back. Anders, who had just finished setting up their tent, caught her leaving the camp and quickly grabbed her arm.

"And just where do you think you're going?" He whispered, stepping closer so that his breath tickled her ear.

"We'll need food, won't we? I just wanted to see if I could shoot a couple of rabbits down," Faith replied, a smile on her lips as her eyes locked into his.

"Well, then, I'll go with you. And I won't take no for an answer," Anders smiled back. "Maybe I can electrocute a couple."

"You're taking the fun out of it already," Faith pouted. "Not fair! Besides, I can shoot really well. You know this."

Anders merely chuckled as he walked beside her. They walked on for some time until they spotted a deer, right between two pine trees. He motioned at her to be quiet, and she nodded then positioned the arrow and aimed.

The arrow hit the bush beside the deer and it bolted, but not before Anders could shoot lightning at it. The deer gave a cry and fell to the ground. Faith sighed and put the arrow back into the quiver at her back. She gave Anders a withering stare as he grinned and approached the dead deer.

"Too bad, sweetheart," he quipped. "Never underestimate the forces of nature."

…

They made it to Orzammar two weeks later, and decided to stop by the merchants offering their wares just outside the city gates. They were all hungry and tired, not to mention dirty.

"Why don't we enter Orzammar and get some rooms in the inn there?" Faith suggested.

Brother Genitivi shook his head, and he turned to look at Faith and the rest, a wistful expression on his face.

"I would suggest moving on, but I do understand that we are in need of a warm place to stay," the good Brother murmured.

"Fantastic," Isabela whispered, but it was loud enough for the rest to hear. "I've always wanted to try dwarven ale."

"Ah, _bella mia_," Zevran purred beside her. "Nothing is better than the sweet nectar of your lips."

Merrill, who was standing next to them, burst into a fit of giggles. The look Isabela had on her face was priceless.

"Who are you, and what have you done to Zevran?" Isabela demanded.

"Stopping to replenish our supplies and get a warm meal and bed sounds like a good idea to me," Aveline agreed, ignoring the pirate and elven assassin for the time being.

The rest merely nodded, so Faith smiled as she approached a vendor who was selling some reagents which she desperately needed to make some poison for their weapons. Anders wandered to a stall right next to it, which had staves and other weapons for sale. Isabela and Zevran walked around nonchalantly, their eyes darting around the crowd of people.

As soon as Faith had made her purchases, they all went up to the city gates where two dwarven soldiers were posted. A third soldier was standing directly in front of the huge doors that led into the city.

"State your business, traveler," the dwarven soldier said crisply.

"We merely want to rent some rooms for the night," Faith said sweetly with a smile on her face. "We're hungry and exhausted."

The dwarf nodded. "Normally, we are wary of letting humans into the city. But if it means you'll bring some coin to the city coffers, then welcome to Orzammar." The dwarf waved a hand and the two soldiers behind him scurried about, turning several knobs to unlock the gates, which creaked as they opened.

"This is one of the places I try to avoid," Anders sighed. "Underground…here we go again."

…

Leliana wasn't far behind. She had hurriedly grabbed some supplies and nearly ran along the North Road in an effort to catch up with them. She did not stop to sleep and ate while she walked, keeping her eyes peeled for anything that would lead her to them.

On the fourth day she found traces of their makeshift camp and a week later she was heading towards Orzammar. Once she arrived, she made her way to the vendors. One of them, a cheerful dwarf that was selling reagents told her that the group she was asking about had arrived two days ago and she nearly kissed him. Turning, she went up the steps and once inside Orzammar, made her way to the Tapster's Tavern, certain that she would find them there.

She did not have to look long. Her eyes opened wide when she recognized none other than the Champion of Kirkwall herself, sitting at a table next to a blonde-haired mage that she recognized as well. There was a redhead at the table as well as an elven girl with dark hair sitting next to the good Brother Genitivi, and at the feet of the Champion she saw a mabari, whose watchful eyes fixed themselves on her.

Leliana smiled as she walked right up to the table, where Genitivi promptly shot up from his chair grinning as he grabbed her into a tight embrace.

"Leliana! It's so good to see you!" the good brother exclaimed as he held her at arms' length. "Whatever are you doing here?"

Faith looked up, recognizing 'Sister Nightingale' from the time when she had met her in Kirkwall.

"It's good to see you, too, Brother Genitivi," Leliana replied in a cheerful tone. "The King graciously let me join your expedition. I would have done so sooner, but I was away on business."

"Ah, that is splendid, my dear. The more, the merrier! You were quite an authority on the ashes, as I well remember."

Leliana smiled as her cheeks flushed faintly. "There is no greater authority than yourself, Brother," she hurried to say, then turned to look directly at Faith. "I did not know that the Champion of Kirkwall was a member of this expedition."

"Both the King and Queen are good friends of mine," Anders said, his eyes locked on Leliana's. "We agreed to help the King as soon as we found out what had happened to the Queen upon our arrival at the palace."

"I see," Leliana nodded. "And does the good brother know what you have done?"

Faith's expression darkened and she made a movement to stand up, but Anders caught her arm and squeezed it, shaking his head.

"Hush, love. Let me handle this," Anders whispered audibly. He looked up and smiled at Leliana who did not return the smile. "I was a different person then. But I can say that even though I regret the deaths of so many innocents, I do not deny the fact that it was necessary."

"Necessary to kill so many? Necessary to start a war?"

"As far as we know, the war was already brewing," Anders shot back. "We know about the rebellion of the mages in Orlais. Wasn't that the true catalyst?"

Leliana said nothing, but bit her lip in a worried gesture.

"Well, Sister Nightingale," Faith intervened quietly. "If you're coming with us, you'll have to refrain from mentioning that in the future."

"And if I don't?" Leliana's eyes flashed angrily.

"Then the nightingale will never sing again."

…

The group continued their trek the following day, stopping only to rest and eat. Faith kept a close eye on Leliana, but as the days progressed, the bard found herself laughing at Zevran and Anders's jokes and even volunteered to cook. Faith dared not admit it, but she quite liked Leliana in spite of everything.

They were walking towards a pass in the mountains a week later when they were ambushed by a large group of darkspawn. Almost instinctively, the group fell into coordinated tactics, but Isabela was gravely wounded during the fight, and Anders rushed to her side to heal her, which meant that they fought on with only one mage to help them out in the battle. Faith found herself wishing for Bianca by the time it was all over.

They agreed to stop so that Isabela could rest and recuperate. Faith glanced around and her eyes locked on a lone hill that was on their right.

"I'm going to scout the area by climbing that," she gestured. "Anyone game?"

"I'll go," Anders said immediately. Faith nodded and they both smiled at each other, then turned to leave but Leliana's sweet voice caused them to stop in their tracks and turn to look back at her.

"I'll go as well."

Anders's eyebrows shot upwards as he looked at Leliana, while Faith's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"If you so much as –" she hissed but Leliana held up her hand.

"Please. I know what I said when I first met you at the tavern. But I'll admit, there were rumors about a war long before the incident at Kirkwall. I'm willing to give you a second chance, Anders."

Anders nodded, albeit a little stiffly. "That's fine by me."

"Well, I'll keep a close eye on you all the same," Faith said in a low voice.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Champion," Leliana replied sweetly.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to go with you also," Genitivi said. Startled, Faith turned quickly to look at the brother. She hadn't even heard him arrive.

"I don't mind," Anders smiled.

"Let's get a move on, then," Faith said as she started walking towards the hill.

"We're close!" Genitivi said excitedly. "I can feel it!"

Leliana said nothing to this, but she knew exactly what Genitivi meant. The whole area they were in was practically infused in magic.

As soon as they reached the top of the hill, Brother Genitivi pointed straight ahead, his whole hand trembling.

"Look! Those are the Tevinter ruins we are looking for! We're finally here!"

…


	72. The Tevinter Ruins and The Guardian

_**Just to thank my two lovely betas: LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat, who are also very talented writers themselves! Take a moment to check on their fics. The links are in my favorite stories list on my profile page! **_

_**I also want to thank koguma, xx Twilight Princess xx, darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane, KnightOfHolyLight and MB18932 for their awesome reviews, as well as all those who have put this fic on their favorites! You all rock! :D **_

_**So, you know the drill: Bioware owns…yadda, yadda…**_

Chapter 72 – The Tevinter Ruins and The Guardian

"The last time we went looking for the ashes, I remember we had to keep our eyes open for traps. Nothing we shouldn't be able to handle, however," Leliana said softly to no one in particular.

"You've searched for the Ashes before, then?" Faith asked curiously.

"I was actually with them when they discovered the ashes. The king and queen, I mean. Only this was long before they were royalty. It was during the Blight," Leliana replied.

"Yes. I know you accompanied them. It must have been quite the experience," Faith murmured.

"The queen led us, you know. Her decisions saved our lives many times over. She was a remarkable warden, and is now a good queen," Leliana smiled. "But that was long ago. I believe we'll have to brace ourselves for what lies in these ruins, and focus on that for the time being."

"You already said we should expect traps. There's more to be wary of, then?" Faith inquired.

"This place seems deserted, but all is not what it seems. There could be worse things than traps within these walls," Leliana replied.

"No darkspawn, though. I can still sense them," Anders said quietly.

They set up camp in the large room they were in, which was the entrance to the rest of the ruins. They quickly had something to eat and considered catching a few hours' sleep.

"I'll take first watch," Leliana offered. "I'm not very good at sleeping soundly these days."

"I'll stay out with you, Leliana. We can talk about the Ashes during our vigil," Genitivi smiled.

"Then I'll stay with you both," Aveline offered.

"Very well. Anders, Merrill and I can take second watch, then. Isabela and Zevran you take the third watch," Faith suggested.

Faith and Anders bid everyone a good night and disappeared into their tent, the rest doing the same.

"There are no carvings here," Genitivi remarked. "I suppose they are further in?"

"I imagine we'll find out soon enough, Brother," Leliana responded quietly. "For now, we'll just have to stay put and wait."

Aveline nodded quietly to this, her green eyes darting around the shadows sharply. Leliana and Genitivi started talking about the Ashes, and Aveline stood up to patrol around the camp perimeter. As soon as she had stepped away from where Leliana and the good brother were sitting, she felt rather than heard a whooshing noise above her so she unsheathed her sword and held her shield in front of her.

"What was that?" Leliana called as she got up, her hands on the hilts of her daggers.

"I don't know," Aveline replied, glancing around.

They searched high and low for the source of the noise, but did not find anything.

"Whatever it was, I know it's not gone. It's well-hidden. In the shadows," Aveline commented.

Leliana nodded. "It's watching us very closely. And what is more troubling is that it won't attack."

"Not yet," was Aveline's somber remark.

…

The rest of the night went on smoothly. Whatever it was that Aveline and Leliana had heard, it was quiet and did not attack the group. The following morning, they all got ready to head out and investigate the ruins.

"There is something watching us. Can you feel it?" Anders whispered behind Faith.

"It's hidden, and for now we can't do anything about it. We cannot fight an enemy we cannot see," Faith replied.

"We'll deal with it when it appears. Be ready," Leliana frowned.

"Right. Anders and Merrill, stay close. Aveline, try to protect them. Zevran and Isabela, do your thing and watch for traps," Faith said quietly.

"I have my arrows ready," Leliana whispered, close behind. Faith gave her a nod and squared her shoulders. "Let's go."

They set out, walking cautiously and slowly down the dusty corridors, pausing every now and then to peer through the gloom. They arrived at a door and Faith moved to open it, but Zevran flung out an arm, stopping her.

"Trap," he said quietly. "If you touch the door, you will die." He pointed to the trigger on the elaborate stone-carved door. It looked harmless enough, but Faith could now make out the wires intricately set in the patterns.

"How do we disassemble it?" Merrill asked nervously.

Faith frowned. She had never seen a trap like this one before, but Zevran stepped forward with a smirk on his face.

"Ah. It just so happens that in the Crows, you get a chance to disarm a great many traps. I know what to do with this one. Step back," he added, giving Isabela a wink.

They all took a step back and let Zevran work. He approached the door slowly; his eyes fixed themselves on all the wires until he found a small flower-shaped wire close to the bottom of the door. Kneeling down, his hand touched it softly and then broke it. The door trembled slightly and flung wide open.

"It is safe now," Zevran murmured, getting up. He was the first to walk through and the rest followed.

The room they were in was silent and oppressive. Faith took a tentative step forward, her eyes darting around, looking for more concealed traps. Then, just as Zevran was about to take a step forward, Faith flung her arm out and stopped him, a smile on her face.

"My turn. See that tile in front of you? That's a fire trap. I'll disarm it and look for more."

"We'll help," Isabela offered.

Zevran smiled at Faith as he got to work. Soon the three rogues had circumvented the entire room, disarming twelve fire trap tiles in the process.

"Thank you for saving my life, Champion," Zevran smiled bowing his head slightly.

"We're even for now," Faith grinned back at him.

…

They reached a room full of coffins and sarcophagi, and Faith knew they would be attacked almost instantly.

"Undead now, huh?" Anders's whisper in her ear caused her to tremble slightly. She smiled and turned to everyone, motioning them to wait and unsheathed her daggers. The rest followed suit.

Aveline took a step forward and the undead burst forth from their coffins and sarcophagi, brandishing their weapons as they rushed forward to attack them.

Faith had everyone wait until they were close, and then they took the offensive. Leliana's arrows confused the undead and they scattered, stunned for a few moments. Faith, Isabela and Zevran took advantage of this and jumped from skeleton to skeleton, while Aveline charged and shield bashed a great number of them.

When the shades materialized, they were ready for them. The team worked together effortlessly and soon all the enemies lay dead at their feet. As soon as the battle was over, they rested to catch their breath.

The magic that enveloped the entire ruin was getting stronger. Everyone could feel it sending out a pulsating aura that grew with each step forward they took.

"We're getting close, aren't we?" Faith asked Anders.

"I don't know. But I can feel that the magic is growing stronger."

"I think we are getting close, actually," Leliana commented. "This place is holy. I can feel it."

"Look at these carvings, Leliana!" Brother Genitivi exclaimed excitedly, pointing to the wall on their right. They took some time to gaze at the writing, while the rest sat on the floor, talking quietly to each other.

After some time, Leliana returned.

"I have some news. We are going in the right direction. The carvings are also telling us that what is up ahead will be difficult. More traps, but also more creatures. There is also a demon that can and will attack us, but he is waiting for the right moment to attack."

"That must be what we felt at the entrance," Aveline murmured.

"We should be prepared," Leliana cautioned. "It will probably attack us when we least expect it."

"If the ashes are holy, then how is it that there is a demon here? Isn't that contradictory?" Anders frowned.

"The ashes are here, but not here exactly. The carvings and writings on the wall explain that the ashes are kept in a chamber that is inside a Tevinter shrine up a path in the valley. This was also the case when we discovered the ashes the first time," Leliana explained. "The actual urn holding the ashes was in a place that was separate from the rest of the Tevinter ruins."

"We should move on carefully then," Faith said.

They gathered their things and continued, arriving to a spider-infested room soon afterwards. As the spiders were corrupted spiders, it took them longer to defeat them. Merrill was almost bitten, but fortunately Aveline stepped forward and managed to shield her.

One of the spiders escaped running forward into the gloomy corridor ahead.

"What? Do they call for back up now?" Anders yelled as he flung a winter's grasp spell on the last group of spiders.

"I hope not," Isabela retorted, gritting her teeth. "I have ichor all over my boots already!"

"It's hard to get off," Merrill agreed, flinging a petrify spell on the remaining arachnids.

Faith, Isabela, Zevran and Aveline soon finished them off.

After the battle, they cleaned up as best as they could, while tensely glancing at the gloomy corridor ahead. The spider that had run off had not returned. What was worse, it could not be seen or heard. Faith had the sneaking suspicion that they had not seen the last of it.

…

The demon attacked them when they least expected it, just like Leliana had predicted. It flung a crushing prison spell directly at Faith who was ahead of the rest of the group and sent the remaining corrupted spider to attack her.

Anders gave a strangled cry and hurriedly cast a crushing spell on the glowing demon, while Isabela and Zevran rushed forward to attack the spider which was already biting Faith. The group fought on and did not even pause until the demon was banished, and the spider lay dead at their feet.

Anders rushed to where Faith's body lay, tears of desperation already trickling down his cheeks. He focused and sent out a wave of healing energy, but Faith did not respond. It was then when he understood that the demon must have hexed her some way while they were busy with the spider.

"My love," he cried. "How can I help you?"

The rest of the companions looked sadly at the scene before them. Leliana took two steps forward and placed a hand on Anders's arm.

"We need to get to the ashes. It is the only way to save her," she said quietly.

"We can't leave her alone like this!" Anders exclaimed.

"I'll stay and protect her, Anders," Aveline announced fiercely. "Anything that wants her will have to go through me first."

Anders nodded, realizing that they had to push on. He bent down to plant a gentle kiss on his wife's forehead and then slowly got up, joining the rest, but glanced back at Aveline before he left.

"You have my word, Anders," Aveline said firmly.

…

A lone soldier, dressed in old Tevinter armor stood in front of a door. Anders knew that this person was magical even before he stood before him. The rest of the group stopped in front of the stranger as well.

For a few moments, no one spoke. Then Leliana smiled at the stranger and the stranger returned the smile.

"I did not expect to see you so soon," the stranger told Leliana. Beside her, Genitivi gave a gasp of excitement and the Guardian smiled kindly at the kind brother.

"Who are you?" Anders asked without waiting for Leliana's answer.

"I am the Guardian of the ashes. To get to the Urn of Sacred Ashes, you must first pass through the Gauntlet."

Anders frowned, turning his head to glance at Leliana who was smiling at the guardian.

"What is the Gauntlet?" Anders inquired, fidgeting with his staff impatiently.

"It is a series of tests to prove your worth. If you pass them, you will be allowed to see the urn and take a pinch of the ashes for yourselves."

"We'll need more than that, I'm afraid. My wife lies dying in a chamber in the old Tevinter ruins," Anders replied dryly.

The guardian pursed his lips. Leliana approached him, standing right beside Anders.

"This is a special case, Guardian. We need a pinch of the ashes to cure the queen. But we also need another pinch to cure our friend – his wife," she gestured towards Anders.

The Guardian turned his kind gaze to Anders. He looked deeply into his eyes for a few moments, and nobody spoke. Then the Guardian sighed.

"You need a pinch of the ashes yourself, do you not?" The Guardian asked Anders.

Anders blinked. "How did you know-"

"Tell me, Anders," the Guardian interrupted. "Has everything you've done in your life truly been in the hopes of freeing the mages? Or did you really do it because you wanted to placate your friend, Justice? How many people were you willing to kill for the cause? Do you honestly think that anything you've done is worthwhile or has any meaning? Or do you doubt the path you've chosen?"

Anders frowned, his eyes locked on the Guardian's eyes.

"No. Everything I did, I did for the mages. I did not do it for myself or for Justice."

"Then, why is it that you no longer fight for the mages?"

Anders's eyes narrowed slightly. "You don't understand. I can't put my life in danger anymore. Faith needs me."

"And you need her," the Guardian replied. Then he looked at the rest of the group. "Very well, you can take the amount of ashes you need. But only four of you may pass through the Gauntlet. The rest of you must remain here. Choose wisely."

"I'll go back to Aveline and Faith," Zevran hurriedly said with a quick smile. "You go on ahead, Bella."

"I will remain to speak to the Guardian," Genitivi said, his eyes shining brightly. "I am not worthy to gaze upon the Urn."

"Then Leliana, Isabela and Merrill, will you come with me?" Anders asked.

"We will," Merrill replied, then turned quickly to Isabela and Leliana. "I mean, I _think_ we will. We will, won't we?"

"Sure thing, Kitten," Isabela smiled. Leliana nodded and grinned at the pirate, who returned the smile.

"Then it's settled," Anders said, turning again to look at the Guardian. "I think we're ready."

The Guardian did not step aside, however. His eyes fixed themselves on Merrill.

"Merrill. You knew that the Eluvian would cost a life. Yet you persisted. Tell me, was your pride more important than the life of your Keeper?" The Guardian quietly asked her.

Merrill's mouth opened in an 'o' of surprise as she gazed back at the Guardian. But she quickly collected herself.

"No," she answered sadly. "Nothing was more important than her life. I regret what I did. That's why I stopped using blood magic."

"And you," the Guardian turned to Isabela. "Do you really avoid love, choosing lust instead, because it satisfies you? Or is it to avoid the pain that you think love brings? How long before you stop thinking of what your husband did to you so many years ago?"

Isabela paled under her dark tan. "I don't avoid love, I just –"Behind her, Zevran took her hand and squeezed it. "I just don't know if he will never leave me."

"I won't," Zevran promised quietly.

"I won't either," Isabela whispered, her eyes downcast. Zevran squeezed her hand again.

"The way is open," the Guardian said quietly. "May you find what you seek."

The door behind the Guardian swung open, and he moved to the side. The group stood there, too dazed to move for a few moments. Zevran took Isabela in his arms and kissed her. Then, he winked at the rest.

"I'll be waiting for you Bella," Zevran said. "Go."

"Let's go," Leliana said softly. "We have some tests to pass and some ashes to gather."

…

_**A/N: I'm not going to write what they go through in the Gauntlet, because the tests are pretty much the same as the ones in the Origins game. Therefore, I'll start the next chapter with them already getting the ashes and back at Faith's side. **_


	73. Of Spirits and Miracles

_**Thank you so much darkkchylde, koguma, ParisWriter, KnightOfHolyLight, xx Twilight Princess xx, LadyDarksbane and MB18932 for your awesome reviews! I also want to thank LadyDarksbane for proofing this chapter as well! You are awesome! :D **_

_**Well, due to the amount of readers who wanted the spirit scene, I've decided to include it at the beginning of the chapter! Hope you like it! :D**_

_**Bioware owns everything! :D **_

Chapter 73 – Of Spirits and Miracles

They had been through two tests and had so far done extremely well. Leliana had rattled out all the answers to riddles about the life of Andraste, and they had each fought a version of themselves in the room beyond. But now they stood at the entrance to another room where a glowing spirit was standing.

Anders swallowed thickly and stepped forward.

"I can't believe this," he whispered, shaking his head.

"It is good to see you again," the spirit of Justice replied. "I have missed you, even though I am content in the Fade."

"I'm sorry. My anger, it changed you. I didn't know–"Anders suddenly found that he could not continue to speak and bowed his head.

"It is not your fault or mine. We did not know. You have been a good friend. I will never forget you, Anders." The spirit bowed his head slightly. "Here, take this amulet. Let it be a token of my appreciation for all that you did for me. I hope it gives you courage in your fight for the mages."

The spirit disappeared in a cloud of smoke and soon another figure stood in its place. Anders stepped back blinking back the tears and looked down at the amulet he held in his hand. At the same time, Leliana gave a strangled cry.

"Marjoline." It was a whisper, but it reverberated on the stone walls and came back to the group as an eerie cry.

"Ah, my Leliana. Are you so surprised to see me?"

Leliana frowned. "I did what I had to do, Marjoline. You were the one who betrayed me, who followed me, who wanted me dead!"

"I am not here for that," the spirit shook her head sadly. "I just want to tell you that I am sorry. I should not have done what I did. I seek your forgiveness, Leliana."

Tears glistened in the bard's eyes. "I think I've already forgiven you, Marjoline," she whispered.

"Take this amulet with you always, my Leliana. It will give you strength in the troubled times ahead."

The spirit vanished and Leliana stepped back. An elderly Dalish elf stood in its place, and Merrill stepped forward.

"Keeper," Merrill said sadly.

"Da'len," the Keeper replied, smiling fondly at her.

"I wish I could go back in time, Keeper," Merrill began, but Marethari just shook her head.

"You have stopped using blood magic, Da'len. I am proud of you."

Merrill bowed her head. "I know you wanted the best for me now."

"That is what I wanted to hear," Marethari smiled. "Take this amulet, Da'len. Look upon it whenever you feel the urge to use blood magic. Dareth shiral."

The spirit faded away and the spirit of a human man took its place. Isabela paled under her dark tan.

"Isabela," the echoing voice of the spirit said.

"I won't feel guilty for what I did. It was only what you deserved," Isabela snapped back, breathing heavily.

"I am not here to make you feel guilty."

"If there is an amulet you want to give me, keep it," Isabela practically snarled. "I'll not have anything to do with you."

"Nevertheless, you still think of me," the spirit said. "You must forgive and forget. It is the only way forward."

"Get out of my way! You sicken me, even as a spirit!"

There was a whooshing sound and the spirit disappeared, only to be replaced by an ancient dust wraith. The group instantly unsheathed their weapons and fought it. Isabela dealt the killing blow and advanced into the gloom without looking back at anyone, her jaw set and her eyes flashing angrily.

…

They went through the remaining tests quickly. The last one made them feel uncomfortable, for it asked them to strip and cross a wall of fire. Anders was the first to do so, without wavering. The flames did not burn at all and he quickly crossed the wall and looked up. A statue of Andraste stood on a raised dais ahead. Directly in front of it, he could see the urn glowing softly.

Anders could not explain the strong emotions that he felt when he finally had the three pinches, but he realized two things – the first being that he was totally and absolutely at peace, which was a good thing to feel for he had led a troubled life. Grasping the pouches tightly he also realized that the ashes would really cure him of the Taint, and he would finally grow old next to Faith like he wanted to. He smiled as he turned to leave the chamber.

They made their way quickly back to the old Tevinter ruins where Faith lay near death and Anders rushed forward. He knelt in front of Faith, his heart thumping wildly as he administered the ashes.

For a few moments, Faith just lay there, unresponsive to everything around her. Then the color slowly came back to her cheeks, and she drew in a haggard breath.

"My love," Anders murmured anxiously, his eyes fixed on her face.

Faith opened her eyes, and held out her arms. Anders quickly gathered her tenderly in his arms. The group stood quietly back to give them privacy.

"You have the ashes, don't you?" Faith smiled.

"I gave you a pinch," Anders smiled back. "The ashes have just saved your life."

"But, the Queen! I can go back and get another pinch-"Faith began, the words tumbling out in a rush, but Anders stopped her with a gentle kiss.

"I have a pinch for the Queen. And a pinch for me as well, so just relax, love," Anders smiled.

"But how?" Faith asked curiously.

"Let's just say I still have the gift of persuasion, and leave it at that, shall we?" Anders chuckled.

…

The way back to the palace was uneventful, if a silent one. As soon as they arrived, Anders and Faith made their way to the royal chambers. A relieved Alistair let them both in.

Anders made his way to the huge bed and quickly administered the ashes. The Queen gave a gasp and then a sigh and opened her eyes. Alistair gave a cry and scooped her up in his arms into a bear hug.

"Mffpt," came Alyssa's muffled cry.

Alistair quickly released her, chuckling. "Sorry, my dear. I forget my strength sometimes."

Alyssa smiled up at him, and then quickly turned her head to smile gratefully at Anders, who smiled back.

"I'm sorry to interrupt," Leliana said with a smile, stepping into the room. "But I must speak with the Champion."

Alistair turned back to gaze quietly at Leliana.

"What the heck are _you_ doing here?" Alyssa hissed, her eyes flashing angrily.

"I know I don't deserve to be here, but-"

"You're damned right at that!" Alyssa flung back, her face angrily flushed as she sat up in bed quickly. "After all you've done to Fergus!"

"I've already spoken to Fergus. And I don't want to cause him further pain, either. I'm here to stay now," Leliana murmured.

"That's what you said before," Alyssa retorted.

"I know I don't deserve your trust, but at least let me try to make it up to you," Leliana said, her voice barely audible.

Alyssa opened her mouth to fling back an insult, but Alistair interrupted her.

"She helped get the ashes of Andraste, love. And the ashes just saved your life."

"I hope you aren't suggesting I should forgive her, Alistair!" Alyssa replied angrily.

"Not exactly," Alistair replied quietly. "But I do think that is something Fergus needs to decide. And he's already asked her to live with him."

The shock on Alyssa's face made Alistair grin. The grin soon vanished when she angrily swatted at his arm.

"I can't believe you'd side with her! I-"

At that moment the door creaked open and all of them turned their heads sharply to see who was there.

"The Champion of Kirkwall and the Hero of Ferelden together in the same room? And it's not even my birthday," the Divine smiled.

…

"Who in blazes is this woman, Alistair?" Alyssa demanded.

"I am the Divine. Or I was, anyway. These are strange times," Justinia replied with a smile.

"The Divine? The Most Holy?" Alyssa cried out, her eyes wide open with shock.

"The very one," Justinia chuckled.

Anders could not believe his eyes. What the hell was the Divine doing here? The Divine turned her head and her eyes locked onto his.

"I see the person responsible for the Battle of Kirkwall is also here. This will be fun!"

"What are you doing here? You should be in your rooms," Alistair said quietly.

"I'm tired of hiding," Justinia replied dryly. "And I just wanted to see how the Queen was doing. She's doing very well, I see."

"We found the Urn of Sacred Ashes, Your Grace," Leliana quickly explained. "She's woken from her coma only a few moments ago."

"Then I believe I'm in the right place at the right time," the Divine smiled brightly at Leliana.

"You still haven't told us why you're here." Faith's comment caused the Divine to turn and gaze at her, her smile deepening.

"I came seeking refuge. The Lord Keeper has ordered my death."

"What?" Anders interjected. "But, but… you're the Divine!"

"Like I said before, these are strange times," Divine Justinia chuckled.

"So what do you want from us, then?" Faith snapped. "If you are here in hiding, I doubt that you want to arrest us."

"My dear child," the Divine said, the amusement in her voice apparent. "I have no intention whatsoever of arresting anybody. But I do want to speak with you both. Your help is sorely needed. This war must be stopped."

"Stop the war?" Anders echoed, his eyes narrowing. "The mages are fighting for their freedom out there. I don't know what you will have us do, but I want no part in it!"

"I support the mages," the Divine shot back at him evenly. "This is why I'm exiled from Orlais with a death warrant over my head. I can't do anything here. My hands are tied, as you must already have surmised."

"You want me to convince the mages to stop fighting, don't you?" Faith asked cunningly.

The Divine turned to Faith, chuckling. "They said you were smart. I'm glad to see they weren't mistaken."

"I won't ask them to stop," Faith shot back angrily. "Templars have abused mages over a thousand years. The mages should fight, and win. It's justice, plain and simple."

"The death of so many innocents is _not_ justice. I simply wish to stop the war because of the lives lost. Because of the lives that will be lost. I don't want Thedas to turn into a bloodbath," Justinia said sadly.

"I'm afraid it's a little too late for that," Alyssa replied nonchalantly.

"Stop the war now, and we'll be punished even more!" Anders cried out indignantly.

"Not while I'm still alive," the Divine said. "I seek the mages' freedom. But I wish for the circles to continue to exist. They should become academies, where the mages are trained until they are older. Then, they should be allowed to leave. Back to their families. Back to a somewhat normal life. Mages will be given free rein to marry, or take a title."

"And the templars?" Anders spat out. "Who's to keep them from abusing their power?"

"There will be no templars guarding the mages in the circles. I wish to have other mages do that. The templars would be used to capture rogue mages who have turned to blood magic."

Anders's jaw dropped. He could not believe what he was hearing.

"That's quite a change," Alyssa murmured, her brow furrowed.

"It's the only possible change," the Divine said softly. "I support the mages, but they do need to harness their powers. Blood magic is a dangerous thing that can release armies of demons into the world. The mages must train to use their gift wisely."

"It could work," Alyssa said slowly. "As long as the Templars are kept in check."

"I can't believe you're siding with her!" Anders practically growled. "It will be the same as always. The Templars will abuse their power, and the mages will be once again treated like prisoners."

"You don't have to decide right away," the Divine nodded her head, a hint of sadness in her twinkling eyes. "I imagine you are tired from your journey. We can speak later, once you're well-rested."

Then the Divine turned around and quietly left the room, leaving the rest standing there in a state of shocked silence.

"It looks like we're going to be travelling again soon," Faith quipped.

Anders scowled and turned to leave the room, shaking his head. Faith turned and meekly followed him, after giving Alyssa and Alistair a smile. Leliana soon caught up with her.

"You _are_ going to help us, aren't you?" Leliana asked, falling into step beside Faith.

"I didn't say that," Faith replied. "I still don't see this plan of hers working."

"But surely –" Leliana began, but Faith turned to face her interrupting.

"I'm tired, Leliana. I suspect you are as well. Why don't you just leave it be?"

Leliana nodded back at Faith, but Faith had already turned heel and was moving down the corridor as fast as she could.

She did not look back.

…

_**A/N: Is the Divine right? Or is Anders? I'm interested to know what you all think! :D **_


	74. On the Road

_**Thanks to all my lovely reviewers: koguma, ParisWriter, AltairLove, xx Twilight Princess xx, KnightOfHolyLight, darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane, and to my wonderful beta LadyDarksbane! You all rock! :D I totally loved the feedback and your views on this subject! :D Since I am what you would call an 'Anders supporter', I agree with his point of view, of course! ;) **_

_**I'm kind of worried about how long this fic is turning out. I had originally planned it to be not longer than sixty chapters, and I'm now posting Chapter 74! I had planned to write it in two parts, actually: this fic and the sequel, but I decided to go ahead and continue writing, so here we are. :) **_

_**As you all know, Bioware owns everything…I just play around with the characters! :D **_

Chapter 74 – On The Road

"I don't want to talk about it," Anders said as soon as Faith entered the room. "I don't want to hear that we should help the Divine."

"You think I would ask you to help the Divine, then?" Faith bristled. Anders turned around quickly and shook his head as soon as he saw the angry look on her face.

"No, love. Of course not. It's just…" Anders sighed. "I'm tired of this, you know?"

"As am I. But we can't pretend we didn't just talk to the Divine, love," Faith said softly.

Anders bowed his head and sighed. "I know, I know," he sighed. "But the only other option I see for us is leaving now, and never returning. As long as the Divine is here, we'll be asked to help. And I know how much you love helping others. It's only a matter of time before you agree."

Faith slowly walked to where Anders was standing. "I suggest a nice, hot bath, so we can mull things over, so to speak," she smiled, her eyes twinkling.

Anders gave a bark of a laugh, pulling her close. "You do know how to put me in a better mood, love. You're such a saucy minx."

"I didn't say anything suggestive at all," Faith blinked innocently, and then batted her eyelashes at her husband.

"Don't you dare look so innocent, or I'll have to resort to my magic," he grinned, wiggling his fingers.

"Oooh, I can't wait!" Faith managed to say before he claimed her lips.

"So happy to see you've come to your senses," Anders murmured in between kisses. "Mmmm. I have to say that-"

"Anders?"

"Yes, love?"

"Shut up. You're ruining the moment."

…

The following morning, a servant knocked on their door to let them know that the King and Queen were expecting them for breakfast. They quickly washed and dressed and headed out to the royal chambers.

"I'm so glad you are here, my friends," Alyssa said as they sat at an oval-shaped table filled with bread, cheese, ham and fried eggs. "Though I think this conversation will not be an easy one."

"I hope you aren't suggesting we help the Divine," Anders said quietly. He turned to Alistair who seemed lost in thought, his brow furrowed.

"You were a templar once. You know what the templars do in the circles. You know how they abuse of their power," Anders said to the king. "The Divine may mean well, but her plan…" Anders trailed off, shaking his head.

"She means to put mages in charge of other mages. You have to admit that's crazy," Alistair said in a quiet voice. "What if the mages who watch over the others are blood mages?"

"Exactly," Anders retorted. Alyssa said nothing, but frowned slightly. Faith was too busy eating as much as she could, but she was following the conversation closely.

"I'm sure the templars would probably be around, even if the circles are meant to function as academies. Probably patrolling the grounds or something," Faith finally spoke around a mouthful of bread and cheese.

"I see we're hungry this morning," Anders commented, smiling at the way she was wolfing down the food. "Leave some for us, will you?"

Faith glared, but took another bite of her sandwich. Apparently it was either talk or eat, so she chose the latter.

"The templars will probably end up abusing their power," Alistair said, shaking his head. He reached over to the last piece of cheese before Faith could grab it, and winked at her.

"Hmmm," Alyssa said, turning to Anders. "What exactly did the templars do to the mages in the circles, Anders?"

"I could give you details, but I'd like all of us to eat something, as long as my wife leaves something on the plates for us, of course. Ow!" Anders rubbed his elbow where Faith had pinched it. "What did you do that for?" He protested.

"I'm hungry, all right? No need to needle me about it," Faith said, grabbing a cloth napkin to wipe her mouth clean. She smiled at the king and queen as she poured herself some juice. "I think that we're going to have to speak to the Divine."

"What for?" Anders asked, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You heard what she wants. She was quite clear."

"Well, for one thing, I'd like to know if the mages have a headquarters somewhere. If she wants us to convince them to stop fighting, they must be somewhere, and I'm guessing she knows exactly where they are." Faith wiped her fingers and turned to look at Anders. "And no, I'm not suggesting we help her at all, in case that's what you're thinking."

"That's clever," Alyssa said smiling at Faith.

Faith smiled back. "I think better with some food in me, I guess." She turned sharply to Anders. "Not a word!" She warned, but he only smiled and continued eating his food. Faith turned back to Alyssa. "You were hurt by Flemeth?"

Alyssa blinked back at the quick change of topic, but nodded quickly. "The wardens heard that she was searching for something underground. We went to see if we could find her. We did, unfortunately."

"Underground? That's darkspawn territory right there," Anders mused. "Why would Flemeth want to go to a place full of darkspawn?"

"There's something there that must be very valuable to her," Alyssa replied. "And please, let me ask you both not to breathe a word of this to anyone. It's warden business."

"We won't," Faith replied quickly. "Now…can I ask you to order a servant to bring more food? I'm still hungry."

Anders's jaw would have dropped if he wasn't busy chewing, but he did stare at his wife.

"What the heck has gotten into you? All you've done lately is eat enormous quantities of food and…er…well, I won't continue talking about it," Anders finished off lamely, blushing slightly.

"Thank the Maker for that," Faith said dryly.

…

The Divine looked at Anders and Faith, smiling kindly. She had a good idea why they were there, but asked them to sit graciously and help themselves to some refreshments on the table. Leliana sat next to Faith, and smiled at them both. Anders chose to remain standing, his hands gripping the back of his wife's chair.

"So..." Faith began, smiling sweetly at the Divine. "You said you wanted me to somehow convince the mages to stop fighting. Can I ask you a couple of questions first?"

"Certainly, child. I will answer to the best of my abilities," the Divine replied nodding.

"Where _are_ the mages? I presume they have a headquarters somewhere?" Faith asked directly.

The Divine was taken aback. She clearly had not anticipated that question. She quickly recovered, however, and Faith was both surprised and pleased to see that.

"I do know where they are. The war is being fought in Orlais, with the rest of the circles rebelling in their own cities. As far as I know, all the circles have fallen, even the one here in Ferelden. I want to stop this. So many deaths are unnecessary when they can be avoided."

"If you stop the war, you'll only make it worse for the mages," Anders stated firmly. "Your plan sounds wonderful, but we know all too well that plans like that one never work out. It's the power that the templars have over the mages that corrupt them."

"You must have suffered greatly in your circle," the Divine said sadly.

"Just like any other mage there," Anders hurried to respond. "But even if I hadn't gone through it all, I would still say your plan won't succeed."

"The Lord Seeker has already declared the Nevarran Accord null and void. The Templars who follow him do not acknowledge the Chantry's authority. However, some of the templars in the order have decided to help the mages. The situation is devastating. I do not want more people to die."

"You still haven't told us where the mages are," Faith asked.

"Why would you want to know if you are not going to help?" Leliana asked in an agitated voice.

But the Divine shook her head. "Leliana, do not trouble yourself. It is in the Maker's hands now." The Divine turned back to Faith. "They are in Andoral's Reach, a Tevinter fortress in Orlais."

"I know where that is," Anders murmured. "I've read about its history and seen maps that show its location."

"I presume you will be heading out there soon?" The Divine said, frowning slightly.

"We'll see," Faith replied. "We haven't really decided yet."

"I would ask you a favor, if I may?" The Divine asked her voice suddenly tired and sad.

"Yes?" Faith shot back.

"Before you decide anything, just think of all the people who are dying," Justinia said softly. "There is no need for such violence."

"That's something the Chantry should have thought about before deciding to abuse of its power, isn't it?" Anders snapped.

…

"Bella," Zevran called out, walking into the sparring room of the palace. The pirate stepped away from the shadowy corridor that led to the outside gates.

"What is it you want, Zev?" Isabela asked as the elven assassin finally managed to reach her, slightly out of breath.

"We have not talked much, and I have something I wish to discuss with you, Bella," Zevran murmured, his yellow eyes locked on hers.

Isabela shook her head slightly, but waited for Zevran to continue speaking all the same.

"Let us go to the garden to speak, yes?" Zevran said, taking her hand and leading her to the garden next to the palace gates.

They sat on one of the stone benches as soon as they arrived, and Zevran cleared his throat. Isabela remained silent.

"I want to talk about us, Bella. About our future," Zevran said in a low voice. "I want us to be together for as long as we live. I know you don't believe in marriage. I don't either. But I have this to give you. Will you wear it as a symbol of our relationship? Of our love?"

Zevran extended his hand. In the middle of his palm, a gold earring glittered lightly under the sunlight. Isabela's eyes flew to Zevran's face. His expression was hopeful and eager; he looked a bit like a puppy dog waiting to get a special treat.

"Wouldn't this mean that we are engaged in Antiva?" She asked quickly.

"Oh? Are we living in Antiva? I don't think so," Zevran replied smirking.

"Answer my question, Zevran!" Her eyes flashed dangerously for a split second, and all traces of the smirk on his face disappeared.

"I'm sorry, _mi tesoro_. It's not my intention to upset you."

"Men! You are always alike. Always using women for what they need, never loving as the woman deserves to be loved!" Isabela jumped up, trembling, her cheeks a deep red. She turned to leave, but Zevran jumped up quickly and caught her arm before she could.

"I am not Luis, Bella!" He cried out.

Isabela stood there, trembling slightly, unable to look at him in the eyes, but Zevran pulled her close.

"I am not Luis. I will never do what he did to you. You have my word," Zevran repeated, more quietly this time.

"I'm supposed to believe that?" Isabela scoffed, and Zevran's eyes widened slightly.

"Do you honestly think I would do that? After all I saw him do to you? After I killed him for you? I may be an assassin, Bella, but I do know what is right and what is wrong. And I do love you very much. I think I have loved you since we were lovers way back when this all happened. But you know I had to fix everything with the Crows," he added. "They needed to be…corrected." The smirk reappeared on Zevran's face.

"You killed nearly all of them," Isabela said, the shadow of a smile on her face. She stole a quick glance at Zevran, and sighed deeply.

"I will never leave you, _mi tesoro_."

"We'll see," Isabela said. "For now, let's just have some fun. Put the earring away, Zevran. I'll think about it. I promise."

…

The lone rider on a white stallion hurried along the beaten path. He wanted to arrive to Denerim before night fall. It was unfortunate that the ship had docked in Jader. He had hoped it would be heading towards Amaranthine or the port in Denerim, but the Orlesian Captain had refused to dock in any Ferelden port. This was most unfortunate, for it meant that the trip would take far longer than he had estimated.

He passed through many small villages on the way, and people stared at him. He knew that it mostly was because he was riding a horse, people in Ferelden rode seldom, if not at all. Only royalty and nobles sometimes kept horses.

He felt his heart thumping when he reached the North Road away from Amaranthine, for he knew he was getting close. He would be arriving at his destination in a day at the most.

And when he did, he would study his target's every movement, and kill him when he was alone, just to make sure that he got no help from anyone. It was fortunate that he had also come upon a unique poison that paralyzed the target; for he needed his target to be absolutely still in order to make sure that he was successful.

After all, mages couldn't heal themselves if they were paralyzed, could they?

…


	75. The Prince, the Assassin, and the Mage

_**Thank you SO much MB18932, koguma, KnightOfHolyLight, xx Twilight Princess xx, ParisWriter, moosesaregreat, darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane and Freakitten for your awesome reviews! I want to especially thank moosesaregreat for helping me out editing this chapter! :D **_

_**I hope you enjoy reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 75 – The Prince, the Assassin and the Mage

Zevran's eyes flew open and he glanced around the dim-lighted room he shared with Isabela. He blinked several times, his eyes automatically falling on the sleeping figure beside him. Isabela was breathing in and out deeply, a sign that she was fast asleep. But something had disturbed his sleep. What was it?

Slowly and noiselessly, he got up, and paused for a few moments. A faint noise came from outside and he realized that was what had woken him up. The fact that he had heard something and Isabela had not, did not by any means, strike him as odd. Elves had a superior sense of hearing; far better than any human. He cocked his head to the right, and heard it again: a faint scraping noise.

He made his way to the balcony, and peeked through the curtains. His eyes narrowed as they scanned the stone wall that ran around the palace. The moon had gone behind a cloud and it was very dark outside, but Zevran could make out the details of the stone wall, and he inched forward slowly to get a better glimpse.

At that moment, the moon peeked from the clouds, shining down on everything below. There was a sharp flash as the light caught on something shiny: Zevran could make out a hideous armor made of a shining white material that glowed as if it had a light of its own. Zevran smirked and turned to retrieve his bow and arrows, which he left next to the window every night. One could never be too careful.

Now Zevran wasn't really a very skilled archer, but he knew enough to shoot and scare, or scatter anything that proved a threat. A man dressed in a ridiculous set of armor trying to get inside the palace seemed like a pretty good threat to him, so Zev aimed and shot an arrow straight at the unfortunate intruder.

The man gave a cry, the arrow having landed right next to his foot. Zevran chuckled as he watched him scramble and try to affirm his balance on the stone wall surface. He readied another arrow, and waited with an amused smirk on his face.

The man looked around, but did not see Zevran and quickly thought better of his daring plan. He shook his head and proceeded to go down the wall he had just climbed. Zevran laughed softly when he heard the thud that told him the intruder was safely on the other side of the palace walls, and even heard his footsteps on the cobble-stoned street as he walked away.

Zevran waited for a few minutes, his bow still at the ready, the arrow quivering slightly and ready to fly. Then he lessened his grip and put the arrow back into the quiver.

"What are you doing there?" Isabela called sleepily from the bed.

"Nothing, Bella. I'm coming back to bed," Zevran replied quickly as he put the bow and quiver back to where they were before.

As soon as he was in bed, Isabela made her way to his chest, and he put his arms around her.

"It's cold without you," Isabela protested as she snuggled even closer.

"Ah, now that is something I can remedy," Zevran smirked, thinking it would be a good idea to let everyone know what had happened at the breakfast table the following morning.

…

"How is everyone today?" Anders happily retrieved a piece of freshly baked bread from a tray on the center of the table.

"We slept well, thank you," Alistair grinned.

Faith munched on some cheese as she listened to everyone chatter. She was a bit worried this morning, because she had tried on her old leather jerkin and it did not fit. She guessed she would have to eat less if she wanted it to fit again. Sighing, she took another bite of the cheese and poured herself a large glass of juice.

"Ah. You do have some strange friends, Alistair…" Zevran began, a smirk on his face.

"Strange friends?" Alistair echoed, turning his head slightly to get a better view of Zevran. "Whatever do you mean?"

"The kind that like to get inside the palace climbing the walls," Zevran snickered.

"What!" Alistair and Alyssa both exclaimed at the same time.

"Yes, I also knew I would get that reaction from you. You are _so_ predictable," Zevran shook his head slightly, and sighed deeply.

Isabela elbowed him hard. "Stop it, you goose! Is this why you were out of bed at the balcony last night?"

Zevran chuckled, nodding his head. "An unexpected visitor, yes? But I greeted him most appropriately."

"What did you do?" Faith grinned, leaning forward eagerly.

"I used my bow and arrows, of course! He was most surprised, and nearly fell, poor man," Zevran sighed feigning concern. Faith burst out laughing, and Anders did the same. Zevran shook his head. "He left in a hurry after that, I'm afraid. But I did get a good look at him. Terrible taste in armor. Shiny and white, I believe."

"Fuck!" Anders muttered, while Faith bit her bottom lip, a worried frown on her face.

"You know him?" Zevran asked them interestedly.

"He sounds like a stupid idiot that used to follow me around in Kirkwall," Faith began. "If he was indeed wearing that armor, it could only be him."

"Ah. An old acquaintance, yes?" Zevran asked.

"Well, we'll have to double the guards at the walls and the palace gates," Alistair said, a worried expression on his face.

"He swore he would find Anders and kill him. For what he did in Kirkwall," Faith said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at Anders, who was fidgeting in his seat.

"No reason to get worried, my friend," Zevran smiled brightly. "I shall become Anders's knight in shining armor, yes? I will follow him around and guard him from harm."

"Wonderful," Anders smiled weakly.

"If he was stupid enough to try to get in wearing that armor, I don't think he will get past me," Zevran nodded, winking at Anders.

"See now, if you had THOUGHT about what you were doing, instead of doing it out right, you wouldn't be in this situation," Alyssa scolded, her fiery gaze on Anders.

"Riiiight. I should have controlled Justice. I'll have to remember that the next time a spirit possesses –" Anders began, but was quickly interrupted by Faith who stood up yelling.

"Shut up! Shut up! Can't you take this seriously?" She screamed, her face red. "You could die, Anders! Don't you realize this?"

"Love," Anders began, his hand shooting out to catch hers, but she was too quick and stepped back.

"I can't lose you! I won't!" Faith cried, bursting into tears. Then she turned and ran out of the room.

…

Faith was lying on their huge bed, crying stormily into the pillow when Anders walked into the room. Anders quickly crossed the room and sat gently on the bed. He put his arms on her shoulders and she sat up, the tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him.

"Love, please. I do take it seriously," Anders crooned, as he took her gently in his arms. She sobbed quietly as he held her.

"No, no you don't. You don't care. You always take risks," Faith sobbed.

"That's not true, love. I did take risks when Justice was here, but now, I guess I'm a bit on the cowardly side," he said half-jokingly as he stroked her hair. "Come on," he said softly, lifting her chin up so that she could look at him. "Do you honestly think I would put myself in danger now? I haven't even pestered you to go to Andoral's Reach!"

Faith gave him a watery smile, but bit her lower lip, and Anders sighed. "What do I have to do to convince you, my love?" He asked, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Nothing, nothing," Faith replied in a quivering voice. "I – I just can't believe Sebastian is here, looking to kill you Anders. I don't want you to die!"

"Neither do I!" Anders quickly said with a smile. Faith gave him a watery smile and he kissed her gently.

There was a knock on the door. Anders cursed softly under his breath and stood up, but Faith clung to his arm, shaking her head, her eyes wide open in fear.

"Sweetheart, if it were Sebastian, do you honestly think he would be stupid enough to knock on the door?" Anders stopped talking and shook his head. "No, don't answer that," he sighed.

"It is only I," came Zevran's muffled voice from the other side. "See?" Anders smiled as he opened the door. Zevran and Isabela both stepped inside, closing the door behind them.

"We have much to talk about, yes?" Zevran smirked, winking at Faith who smiled weakly at him from the bed.

"He means we should come up with a plan," Isabela said, her voice laden with excitement. "And you know how much I like hunting things down."

"That's true. You do seem to enjoy it better than most," Anders replied dryly.

"I hope that's meant as a compliment?" Isabela muttered.

They sat around the bed, in chairs that Anders provided and waited until Anders was sitting next to Faith.

"This person, he is not very bright, is he?" Zevran asked.

"He is a religious nut. It's all 'Maker this, and Maker that' with him," Isabela said, rolling her eyes.

"Ah, one of those," Zevran replied, his brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Though that is good for us, yes? If he is so passionate about something, his emotions will overcloud his judgment."

"You're right," Faith said thoughtfully.

"So, the plan is to draw him out. You can go and get things at the market, Anders. I will go with you. The plan is simple," Zevran announced.

"No! Sebastian is an expert marksman! What if he puts an arrow through Anders's head? That plan is too dangerous!" Faith cried out, shaking her head.

"But I will be with Anders," Zevran chuckled. "Nobody gets past Zevran."

"I will be with you two also. I know him, and can spot him in a crowd," Isabela said confidently.

"Anyone can spot him in a crowd with that armor," Anders commented.

"See? It is all a matter of talking things out," Zevran smiled, winking at Faith.

"I don't think I like that plan. No, I don't like it at all," Faith said, biting her bottom lip in concern.

"If he is here to kill Anders, I don't think he will kill him in broad daylight," Zevran said. "He will probably be following us. This is why it is important that we go with him everywhere."

"He will have to find out what Anders does, where he goes, if he _really _wants to kill him," Isabela added.

"If we go out to the market place every day at the same time, then we can provide one place that Anders visits for him, yes?" Zevran chimed in.

"Then before he can strike, we capture him first. Bring him into the palace for 'questioning'," Isabela purred.

"You'd have to ask Alistair and Alyssa before you do something like that," Anders said.

"Oh, I'm sure the king will agree to anything. He really likes you, Anders," Isabela said impatiently.

"He's the Prince of Starkhaven. We have to find out if he has reclaimed his land or not. If he has, Alistair won't agree to anything, I'm afraid," Faith shot back. "Alistair is the King of Ferelden. If he imprisons the Prince of Starkhaven, it could result in a war between Starkhaven and Ferelden."

"He is a prince?" Zevran murmured, a look of disbelief on his face.

"I hadn't thought of that," Isabela said sadly. Isabela looked crestfallen, but after a few moments she chuckled, a smirk on her lips. "Wait! I know exactly where we could take him! How silly of me to forget!"

"Your ship?" Anders quizzed.

"Aye, aye mate," Isabela purred, winking at Anders.

"We have a place," Zevran smiled. "Now we just need a plan."

"I thought we had a good plan already?" Isabela asked, a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"A better plan, then," Faith said. "Even if he doesn't try to kill Anders in broad daylight, we have to carefully plan to the last detail."

"I agree with you, my dear friend." Zevran winked at Faith, and Faith smiled back brightly at him. "And don't you worry your pretty little head. Zevran will not let Anders die. I swear it."

…

Sebastian Vael opened his eyes and found himself staring at the discolored ceiling above his head. He had slept little the night before, thinking about his time in Ferelden. So far, he had seen Anders, with Hawke, Isabela and an elven man walking around the market twice, and stop at a potions and reagent shop to purchase ingredients. He had been very careful following them, but was disappointed to discover that Anders was never alone.

He stood up, quickly washed and dressed, then left the inn to set out towards the market again. If he was right, he would see the abomination again today, along with that traitor Hawke and her two friends. He wished he could just shoot several arrows into Anders and be done with it, but he knew he could not risk killing a man in broad daylight if he ever wanted to regain his throne. His brow furrowed as he continued to walk towards the town square, quite oblivious to what was happening around him.

Zevran kept his distance as he trailed after Sebastian, only stopping to conceal himself around the walls and corners. The idiot was heading straight for the market square, and Zevran could tell he wasn't really paying attention to anything around him. Just before he reached the opening in the alley that led right into the square, a group of five thugs appeared, surrounding Sebastian, who would have kept right on walking if the thug leader hadn't stepped in front of him and put a dagger to his neck.

"'Ere. If ya give us all yer coin, we won't make yer pretty face ugly," the thug leader sneered.

Zevran swore under his breath. If anyone was going to kill this fool it would be him. He prepared to pounce on the nearest thug, but Sebastian leapt backwards into the air and became a blur as he unstrapped his bow and shot three arrows in rapid succession.

The first arrow caught the leader in the neck, while the following two quickly pinned the two thugs that were moving in for the kill. Sebastian then fired two more, killing one of the thugs on the spot and gravely injuring the other. The two pinned to the ground cowered as he turned to look at them, a frown on his face. They whimpered as they disentangled themselves from the arrows and ran away as fast as they could. The injured thug fell to the ground unconscious. Sebastian calmly walked around the bodies, taking back his arrows and searching for coin he could pocket. When he was done, he strapped the bow to his back and stepped into the market square.

Zevran closed his mouth which had opened while watching the amazing scene unfolding in front of him. He now understood why Faith was so frightened for Anders. The man was an awesome marksman. He had only seen another person as good as he with the bow, and that was during the Blight while travelling with Alistair and Alyssa. And that person was Leliana.

He frowned as he saw Sebastian shake his head in the distance, then head directly towards the palace gates. What was this idiot up to now?

…

Alistair looked up from the desk where he sat, reading the missives from the nobles in the Bannorn.

"Your Majesty, there is someone who wishes an audience with you," the guard said as he knelt before him.

"Yes?" Alistair asked in a puzzled tone.

"He calls himself Sebastian Vael, and says he is the Prince of Starkhaven."

Alistair's eyes widened slightly in disbelief. He knew who that was, as Anders and Faith had told him all about Sebastian and what they had planned to do about it all. He quickly composed himself and ordered the guard to rise and go get the prince, his mind working furiously at a solution to what was about to happen.

A man dressed in shining white armor entered the room and walked briskly to where Alistair was now standing, bowing before Alistair. Alistair nodded once and asked him to sit on the chair opposite his desk.

"What can I do for you?" Alistair asked.

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to intrude upon your kingdom, but I must request something at once," the man began, his blue eyes regarding Alistair with something akin to disgust.

"Yes?" Alistair replied lazily, his amber eyes twinkling, knowing full well what Sebastian was about to say.

"You are harboring a dangerous criminal. I would like you to turn him over to me at once!" Sebastian exclaimed, his cheeks flushed.

Alistair gave him a wide smile, and Sebastian blinked, taken aback.

"Are you acting on behalf of Starkhaven?" Alistair inquired, the kindness in his voice suggesting he was dealing with a moron.

Sebastian's mouth dropped open. He clearly had not anticipated that question. "I- I don't really understand what you mean, Your Majesty?" Sebastian stammered out.

"I mean, is this a political crime? Did the man commit a crime against Starkhaven?" Alistair shot back, the smile still on his face.

"N-no," Sebastian managed to stutter.

"Ah. Then what crime did this man commit?" Alistair inquired, leaning forward, feigning interest.

Sebastian flushed darkly, his blue eyes flashing angrily. "This man killed the Grand Cleric! He blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall! The Maker will see retribution today!"

"I see…" Alistair said, his eyes falling to his crossed hands on the desk. "Then, you would not mind me asking for someone to come and help you with what you want?"

Sebastian clearly did not understand Alistair's question. He shook his head, at a loss for words.

"You see, if this is a crime committed against the Chantry, I believe we should ask someone who represents the Chantry, wouldn't you agree? If this person agrees with what you are saying, then I will certainly hand him over to you." Alistair finished, and flashed Sebastian a grin.

Sebastian ran his tongue over his dry lips, still unable to utter a sound. Alistair turned to the guard standing next to the door.

"Please tell the Divine to come to my study. The matter concerns Kirkwall and Starkhaven," he barked.

Sebastian flinched when he heard 'the Divine' as if he had been struck. Alistair turned back to him, his lips twitching, and his eyes twinkling furiously.

Sebastian finally found his voice. "The D-Divine?" He squeaked out.

"Yes. My personal guest. She's here to rest a bit, given the Civil War raging in Orlais. You know how it is."

Alistair smiled again. He knew very well what the Divine would say to this stupid git. He struggled to control the laughter that was threatening to overcome him and stood up. An image of his wife suddenly came to his head and he clearly saw her doubling over in a fit of laughter. Alyssa would never forgive him if he did this without her. He called to the other guard on the right side of the room and asked for the queen.

"I'm sorry," Alistair said to Sebastian contritely. "But this seems to be an important matter. The Queen would never forgive me if she wasn't here to witness all this."

…


	76. Divine Intervention

_**Thank you so much KnightOfHolyLight, LadyDarksbane, xx Twilight Princess xx, koguma, MB18932, and ParisWriter for your awesome reviews! I'd also like to thank LadyDarksbane for making this chapter readable! You totally rock, my dear! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I swear! **_

Chapter 76 – Divine Intervention

Alyssa tried hard not to burst out laughing. Alistair was smiling at her, and she turned away, her lips twitching slightly. She nodded at Sebastian who had knelt as a sign of respect, gesturing at him to rise. The mad desire to break into uncontrollable laughter was so strong that when she spoke her voice sounded harsh and strained.

"Please sit. The Divine will be with us shortly."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," mumbled Sebastian. As soon as he sat down, the Divine entered the room with Leliana.

"Your Majesties," The Divine said, walking towards the king and queen, who smiled at her and nodded. Sebastian sprang up from his chair and knelt on one knee and she blinked at this before turning back to Alistair and Alyssa with a puzzled look. Leliana stood quietly beside her, a frown on her pretty brow.

"Divine Justinia, this is Sebastian Vael, Prince of Starkhaven," Alistair began. "He has come here to demand retribution."

Justinia nodded, and turned to Sebastian. "Please rise and sit, child."

Sebastian nodded but did not sit until the Divine had sat down herself. The Divine turned her head slightly and waited for Alistair to continue speaking, but he shook his head and looked at Sebastian directly.

"Perhaps you would like to explain what you want, Prince Vael?" Alistair asked, his eyes flashing momentarily with something akin to anger.

Sebastian nodded curtly. "I am here for Anders, the mage who blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall. It is time this man paid for his horrendous crime."

The Divine nodded. "I see," she said quietly. The silence in the room was quite oppressive. Alyssa shifted in her chair uncomfortably.

The Divine stood, and Sebastian moved to stand, but she held up her hand and shook her head, so he remained seated. She walked to the large window in the room and looked out into the courtyard below.

After a few minutes, she turned and looked directly at Sebastian, who fidgeted a little under her scrutiny.

"Perhaps you would like to enlighten me on this petition of yours, Prince Vael? Are you a member of the Chantry?" The Divine inquired.

"I was given to the Chantry by my parents when I was fifteen, Your Holiness," Sebastian said. "I took my vows as a priest in the Chantry in Kirkwall. Grand Cleric Elthina and at least two dozen sisters and templars died on the day of the explosion. The Maker will see retribution today if I have anything to say about it!"

"Are you still a priest?" The Divine inquired, tilting her head slightly.

Sebastian blinked back. He had not set foot in any Chantry for a very long time. He had been fighting a civil war in Starkhaven to regain his seat on the throne for years now. His money had run out, and without the coin to keep his armies well fed and paid, the war had ended rather abruptly. He had then dedicated himself to searching for the abomination who had murdered Elthina and the mage rebellion in Kirkwall.

"No, Your Grace. I haven't been in a Chantry since the abomination blew the Chantry up in Kirkwall. I have been trying to get back my lands," Sebastian finished in a low voice, blushing darkly.

Alistair rose to the occasion. "So you are _not_ the ruler of Starkhaven?" He asked, but Sebastian merely gazed at him for a few moments before giving him a curt nod, and then turned back to the Divine, who was looking down at him, her blue eyes clear and calm.

"Have you ever been inside a circle?" The Divine asked calmly, her eyes full of compassion for the angry young man before her.

Sebastian blinked back at the question, his look now perplexed and confused. "I don't understand what –" he began but the Divine interrupted him.

"I'm sorry, child. What I meant to ask was if you have ever seen how the mages live inside a circle? How they are treated?"

"No."

The Divine turned to the window again. Her blue eyes had a far-away look when she spoke.

"I was five when they gave me to the Chantry. But before I left the circle, I had already seen the templars rape and kill my mother. My mother was a sweet person. Never did anyone any harm. Her only sin was that she had been born a mage," she said softly. She turned again to face Sebastian. "I dedicated my life to helping the templars understand that their role was not to hurt but to help. Revenge turns you soul into something black and terrible, child. Do not let it."

"But this man is a monster! He _is_ Vengeance! We must stop him!" Sebastian blurted out.

"And who will stop _you_ afterwards?" The Divine replied, a serene expression in her eyes. "The cycle of violence is never the answer. Think about what you have done in your life so far. Do you think Elthina would approve if you killed him? Do you think she would approve of the Vengeance you feel in your heart?"

Sebastian was taken aback momentarily. Then he shook his head, his gaze on the stone floor. The Divine took a few steps forward and put a hand on Sebastian's shoulder. "If you love the Maker and the Chantry, return. Give up all material possessions and dedicate yourself to the Chantry. Find it in your heart to forgive, before it turns into something brittle and dark."

Sebastian bowed his head again, struggling to keep his tears in check. The images of that day when the explosion had destroyed the Chantry now came rushing to his mind. He clearly saw what happened and he stiffened.

"No!" He said in a loud voice. "Anders _must_ pay for what he did! I cannot allow him to walk Thedas after all he has done!"

"Then you are a fool, Sebastian Vael," Alistair practically snarled. Turning to his guards he barked out an order. "Take this man to the dungeons immediately!"

"You side with him; you will suffer the same fate!" Sebastian yelled.

The guards quickly took the prince, but Sebastian smiled directly at Alistair and gave him a defiant nod before he left the room.

"Maker have mercy on you, child," the Divine said sadly. When the door shut, she turned to Alistair and Alyssa. "I was hoping to convince him to desist."

"Sometimes, people cannot see the truth clearly. Not even if you spell it out for them," Alistair replied, his amber eyes warm. "Thank you for your help, Your Holiness."

"There is no need to thank me. I did not manage to convince him to stop. And this saddens me."

…

"Sebastian Vael is in the dungeons!" Isabela sang out, rushing into Anders and Faith's room. They had been kissing each other and literally jumped when Isabela had rushed into the room.

"Don't you knock?" Anders scowled as he stood up.

"I don't mind, you goose. I've seen you two kissing before. Besides, this is important!" Isabela said impatiently.

"It sure is!" Faith agreed, as she straightened her jerkin. This one was feeling rather tight as well. She had cut down her intake of food but it didn't seem to be working.

"I guess this means that Prince Sebastian does not rule Starkhaven, right?" Anders calmly added, smoothing his hair and adjusting the tie at the back.

"I realize that," Isabela said, glancing at Anders briefly. "It also means he is much easier to kill!" She smirked.

"The man is in a dungeon. He is a prince. Give him a few days. I'm sure he'll drop dead," Anders shot back, while he walked to where his staff was. He wanted to clean it up for it hadn't been cleaned in a couple of days.

"Oh, good! You're already getting your staff! Hurry up, kitten!" Isabela turned to Faith, who was thinking of changing into something more comfortable.

"I don't understand! This fit me just fine two days ago! UGH! "Faith ended up yelling, and Anders turned a puzzled frown in her direction.

"You do seem to have put on weight, Kitten," Isabela said.

"Thanks, Isabela. Why don't you shout it from the window now?" Faith muttered angrily.

"I thought you knew! You said you were going to cut down your intake of food!" Isabela said defensively.

"I have!" Faith said, her hands on her face. A headache was beginning to throb, and she massaged her temples gingerly.

"What's wrong, love? Are you feeling alright?" Anders asked as he crossed the room to stand in front of her.

"Bloody headache!" Faith managed to get out through clenched teeth.

"You do look a little green," Isabela said.

Faith stopped massaging and glared at Isabela.

"What?" Isabela protested, her eyes widening slightly. "Just saying!"

"Why don't you lie down, love? I'll get rid of that headache for you," Anders smiled.

"Let me just change into something more comfortable, I really can't stand this jerkin any longer!" Faith complained, moving to their bathroom.

"Well, I'm going to go, Kitten," Isabela called after her. "Clearly we are not going to visit Sebastian and kill him today…"

"Are you sure you aren't a seer?" Anders quipped. "You can predict the future pretty well."

Isabela stuck out her tongue at him and then left the room, closing the door behind her.

…

When Faith stepped out of the bathroom, she was feeling refreshed. At Anders's insistence, she had also taken a warm bath. Anders had gone to the royal kitchens to ask for dinner to be sent to their room, and by the time he returned Faith was already in bed and she flashed him a welcoming smile.

Anders smiled back as he shut the door, then walked over to his wife, sitting on the edge of the bed. Focusing slightly, he sent out a healing spell while he smoothed away her hair. Faith closed her eyes and hummed her approval when he was done.

Following an impulse, he decided to scan her to see if she was in tip-top health and his hands hovered over her head first and then slowly began to descend over the rest of her body. Faith opened her eyes and watched him as a mixture of healing magic and warmness went through her body. When he reached her stomach he stopped, and opened his eyes, a puzzled look in them.

"What is it?" Faith was quick to ask.

Anders's eyes widened and he scanned again, concentrating on her body. There it was again: a faint heartbeat and – _Maker's breath_!

Faith watched as Anders's face slowly lit up and he burst out laughing. His eyes were twinkling with happiness and he looked younger and happier than he had in years.

"What –"Faith began but was cut off by Anders, who threw himself at her and kissed her passionately on the lips. Faith pushed him away gently. "Tell me what is up this instant, Anders!" She demanded.

"You are with child, my love!" Anders laughed, his eyes warm on hers.

Faith's jaw dropped and she stared up into his eyes. It was then when he bent his head and captured her lips again.

There was a knock on the door and Anders did not cuss when he broke away from the kiss. He was smiling, his eyes still twinkling warmly. Giving Faith a wink, he stood up and crossed the room, opening the door with a grin on his face.

Isabela and Zevran stood there smiling. He waved them inside and Isabela's eyes quickly darted from Anders's joyous expression to the warmth in Faith's eyes.

"We knocked this time –"Isabela began, but stopped and narrowed her eyes. "Hey! What's up with you two?"

Zevran glanced quickly from one to the other. "We're going to dinner, so we came to get you."

"Oh, we're staying in - not going to the dining area tonight," Anders responded quickly, his eyes now back on his wife again.

"You're glowing, Kitten! Will one of you tell me why you are so happy?" Isabela insisted.

Faith burst out laughing, while Anders chuckled. Isabela threw up her hands and turned, muttering obscenities, but Anders caught her arm.

"Well, if you must know, we do have an announcement to make," he chuckled again.

There was another knock on the door. Merrill walked into the room, a smile on her face.

"Oh! I'm not interrupting anything, am I? I thought you might like some company while we walked to the dining area," Merrill said, a slight blush on her face.

"I'm starting to think that _this_ may become the dining area tonight!" Anders replied.

"What are you talking about?" Zevran asked this time, his eyes narrowing slightly.

"After you hear the news, I'm not sure any of you will want to leave," Anders retorted. Three puzzled faces turned to scrutinize him and he burst out laughing.

"I'm with child!" Faith practically screamed from the bed.

Their three friends stood there for a few moments, too stunned to move or speak. Then both Merrill and Isabela gave a delighted squeak, and rushed to embrace Faith. Soon the whole room was full of their happy voices, hugs and laughter.

Anders and Faith's eyes met above all and held. This was truly the happiest moment of their lives.

…

Sebastian Vael closed his eyes. He hadn't quite gotten used to the stench in the dungeons, but had managed to kill two rats and this kept the rest at bay. He leaned against the damp stone wall and tried to focus on coming up with a plan to escape once again.

The rats scurried around, but did not get close, so he sighed with relief. All he had to do was try to get out. Opening his eyes, he glanced around the gloomy cell once again. There was a barred window opposite where he was standing, but it was rather high. One of the bars was missing. If only he could manage to climb up using the irregular stones that jutted from the wall, he could probably squeeze out.

Sebastian frowned. If only he hadn't replied what he thought, and masked his true thoughts, he wouldn't find himself in this predicament. He cursed his outburst and got angrier as the minutes rolled on. Pacing around, he started to mutter at himself angrily. Why hadn't he just bit his tongue? He would be free and that abomination would soon be dead!

The anger rolled off him in waves and he kicked at a loose stone, sending it to the opposite wall where it struck a rat that squealed and lay silent. Sebastian didn't even notice, and he continued to pace, his anger growing steadily.

He had to kill Anders and he would do anything to get out! Anything!

The right corner of the room started to shimmer and he stopped and fixed his eyes on the spot, fascinated by the whole thing. Slowly, the light grew, and seemed to turn into a burning flame, illuminating the entire area and burning a couple of rats that were right next to it. A rage demon materialized and Sebastian's mouth dropped open.

"You would do _anything_ to get out, mortal?" The rage demon asked and Sebastian's eyes widened.

Then he smiled.

…


	77. Catch 22

_**First of all I want to apologize for taking so long to post this! My health hasn't been too good lately, so I haven't been able to write or anything. I'm feeling a bit better, though!**_

_**I'd like to thank csorciere, darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane, xx Twilight Princess xx, koguma, MB18932 and ParisWriter for such lovely reviews and also to those of you who have added my fic to your favorites and those who are following this fic! It really made my day to see all of this! Thank you all so much! :D I also want to thank LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for your help on editing this chapter and making it readable! :D **_

_**Hope you enjoy this one! **_

_**Bioware owns everything! :D **_

Chapter 77 – Catch 22

Sebastian ran through the night, pausing only to catch his breath in a small alley near the market square. A door opened from one of the run-down houses and a woman peered out. Sebastian turned to look at her and smiled, and the lady blushed. He walked slowly towards her.

"I'm sorry, My Lady. I need something to eat and drink and I'm afraid I have no coin at the moment," Sebastian began, a smile on his face as she lowered her eyes for a moment, the flush on her cheeks deepening.

"You are welcome to some bread and butter, Serah," the lady said, gesturing for him to enter.

Sebastian gave her a warm smile as he stepped inside the house, and waited for her to bring the food to the table. He buttered his roll and tore into it with gusto, his blue eyes roaming around the small room.

"Do you live here alone?" Sebastian inquired between mouthfuls.

The woman nodded. "My husband is a soldier with the king's army, but they left for Orlais and have not returned."

"And you are lonely, are you not?" Sebastian asked, swallowing the last piece of bread.

The woman blushed again, lowering her eyes briefly. When she looked up, Sebastian was smiling seductively at her.

"I – I think you should leave, Serah. I will give you some coin, but you must be on your way," the woman said, trembling slightly.

"Do you want me to leave?" Sebastian shot back, his hand now reaching for hers.

The woman's green eyes widened slightly, and Sebastian smiled. She smiled back but then stood up quickly. "I merely was helping you, Serah. You looked so hungry and troubled. I-"

"Of course," Sebastian's smile widened into a grin, and in one quick movement, he took her in his arms, kissing her on the lips roughly.

The woman gasped, and pushed him away, but Sebastian held on tighter. He laughed and kissed her again. The woman gave a stifled cry.

Sebastian's hands found her neck and he squeezed. The woman fought back briefly, her feet drumming on the dirt floor. Then, she grew limp and he let go.

The demon inside cackled and Sebastian tilted back his head and laughed as her lifeless body slid to the floor.

…

Anders woke up in a cold sweat. His hand groped, seeking Faith and he sighed with relief when he touched her. His heart was still thumping as flashes of his dream came back to him.

Faith opened her eyes and yawned. "What's wrong, love? Bad dream?"

"Yes," Anders replied. "Not really bad, but odd. I think…"

There was a knock on the door and Anders quickly got up and walked towards it.

"Who is it?" He called out.

"Serah, the king and queen request your presence immediately," a voice said from the other side.

"Why?" Anders asked, still not opening the door.

"The prisoner has escaped, Serah," the voice replied. "I am merely here to ask you to please meet the king and queen in their chambers."

Anders's eyes widened slightly. "We'll be there soon," he said quietly. He did not turn back to Faith until he heard the footsteps walking away.

"Escaped?" Faith asked, her voice shaking slightly.

"I think my dream is turning out to be true, then," Anders whispered.

"What do you mean?" Faith asked sharply, fear causing her heart to pound in her chest.

"In my dream, I saw Justice. He warned me that Sebastian Vael had escaped," Anders said slowly.

"That's not all, is it?" Faith asked. Anders shook his head.

"Sebastian has been possessed by a demon," Anders said in a low voice.

"A demon? How could this have happened?" Faith cried out in disbelief.

"There has been a lot of death in the dungeons - particularly during the Blight. It isn't unusual for the Veil to be thin there. And Sebastian is religious, so it's not surprising that a demon would seek him out. He must have been experiencing great rage and desire," Anders murmured.

"You're very troubled. Is there something you aren't telling me?" Faith asked.

"He's killed a woman, love. Strangled her with his bare hands…I actually saw this happening." Anders replied slowly.

"Shit!" Faith exclaimed, as she got out of bed. She rushed through the room, looking for something to put on while Anders dressed hurriedly himself. When they were ready, Anders walked to the door but before he opened it, he turned to face her.

"I know where he is," he whispered, his eyes dark with worry. "You won't be coming with us to get him."

"Of course I will," Faith began reaching for the door latch herself, but Anders took her hand firmly.

"No, love. You won't. Think of our child, please," Anders replied, his voice firm. "You have to be more careful from now on. And I won't allow you to put yourself in danger."

"I won't let you go without me," Faith began, but Anders shook his head.

Faith sighed when she realized that this time Anders would not change his mind and nodded briefly, but for Anders that was enough. He opened the door and took his wife's hand in his and did not let go until they reached the royal chambers.

…

"Are you sure about all this?" Alistair asked, his face a mask of worry.

"He knew Sebastian had escaped before we were told," Faith added hurriedly. "I don't think he could be wrong about anything at all at this point."

Alistair nodded and turned to a guard. He ordered the man to round up six men.

"Oh, and please do tell the Guard Captain. She will be coming with us also."

"How are you feeling, Faith?" Alyssa smiled at her.

"Very hungry," Faith blushed.

Anders chuckled and Faith turned to glare at him.

"What?" She demanded angrily.

"Nothing, love," Anders mumbled, looking up at the ceiling innocently.

A knock on the door interrupted what she was about to say. Since Anders was the closest one to the door, he turned and opened it right away.

Aveline smiled at Anders and stepped inside the room.

"The men are waiting in the courtyard, Your Majesty," she nodded.

"Excellent!"

Anders turned to a worried Faith. "Nothing is going to happen, sweetheart. I promise." He kissed her forehead softly and turned to leave with Alistair and Aveline.

Faith watched them go with a worried frown.

"Well, that'll give us a chance to talk," Alyssa smiled. "I've asked a guard to wake Isabela, Zevran and Merrill, so we'll all have something to eat while we wait as well."

"I seemed to have lost my appetite," Faith replied in a soft voice, her gaze still fixed on the door.

"Oh, you'll get it back," Alyssa replied cheerfully. "I gained a lot of weight when I was with child."

A groan escaped Faith's lips and she rolled her eyes.

…

"Is this the place?" Alistair whispered to Anders.

Anders gave a nod, his eyes on the dirty door that led into the hovel. Aveline barked her orders and one of the guards stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"His Royal Highness, the King of Ferelden orders you to open this door immediately!" The guard shouted out.

There was no reply. Alistair nodded to Aveline and she ordered the guards to break the door down. A door opened somewhere behind them and they turned, but it was only a nosy neighbor peering at them.

"If yer looking for the husband, he left a few minutes ago," the old man said, giving them a toothless grin.

"What do you mean?" Aveline quickly asked, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stepped closer to the man. "You're lying!"

"I saw him leave all dressed up in his guard uniform, I swear!" The old man replied, taking two steps back.

"Varric always said you were scary. Now I know why," Anders muttered.

"I heard that!" Aveline exclaimed through clenched teeth.

"Why are you so upset, Aveline?" Alistair inquired.

"I know where all my soldiers live in the city. This man is supposed to be fighting in Orlais!" She shot back at Alistair.

"Are you certain of this, Guard Captain?" Alistair asked.

Aveline gave a curt nod, glancing back at the cowering old man before her gaze went back to the open door.

"Let's all step into the house to see if we find – uh, well you know what we're looking for…" Alistair suggested.

They did not have to look for long because the body of the poor, strangled woman lay on the floor in the center of the room, directly in front of them.

"If he left the house wearing a guard uniform, it means he is heading for the palace," Aveline said, her eyes on the corpse. She shook her head and looked directly at Alistair.

"A clever plan," Anders mused.

"Not so clever. He must have known that we would find out," Aveline shot back.

"He doesn't care if we find out. All he wanted was a way to get inside the palace," Anders said, his eyes widening in fear. "And Faith is there! We have to hurry!"

…

Sebastian smiled under his helmet as he walked down the corridor that led to the royal chambers. He knew where to go, and he also knew that there was a group looking for him back at the hovel where he had killed that stupid woman. It had been all too easy.

He knew what he had to do. The only way to get to Anders was to get Faith. And he knew that Faith was in the royal chambers. The next part of the plan was tricky, but if he played his cards well, he would succeed. He laughed as he arrived at the double doors that led to the royal chambers.

"What you laughing about?" The guard at the double doors asked him curiously.

"Oh, nothing," Sebastian replied. "Just remembering something funny that I heard not long ago."

"Are you here to relieve me?" The guard shot back.

"Yes, I am."

"About time," the guard grumbled as he started to walk away.

Sebastian smiled to himself as he watched the guard disappear down the corridor.

_You must strike now. The others will be here shortly._

"They won't kill me. You said that I would succeed, didn't you?"

The demon did not reply and Sebastian frowned. After a few moments a silent thought came to his head.

_I said I would succeed, yes._

"But isn't that the same?" Sebastian wondered, a sliver of doubt tingling at the pit of his stomach.

_I doubt your success is the same as mine, mortal._

"What do you mean?"

But there was no response.

And then the demon laughed.

…

Alyssa looked up sharply and relaxed a bit, but was puzzled at the guard who had just walked into the room. The man had his helmet on, so she couldn't really see who he was, but that didn't really matter, since there were a great deal of guards at the palace and she really didn't know them all. Merrill continued talking, oblivious to the fact that Isabela, Alyssa and Faith were all looking at the guard.

"Did you need anything?" Alyssa asked the guard.

The guard took several steps forward. "I have orders from the king. He wants you all ready to leave the palace. You will be joining them in the city, and I am to escort Serah Hawke back to her room so she can get ready for the journey."

"Journey?" Alyssa frowned.

Faith narrowed her eyes. That voice seemed oddly familiar – she knew she had heard it before.

"The man was not there, so they are organizing a trip around the city outskirts, Your Highness," the man mumbled and took a few steps so that he was standing right behind the chair Faith was sitting on.

Faith fidgeted uncomfortably in her seat. She didn't like the sound of this at all. Something was not right.

"I doubt my husband has agreed to take me," she said without turning. Her whole body tensed and she gripped the arms of her chair. This was very wrong. Anders would never allow her to go on a wild goose chase like this. As soon as Faith realized this and before she could react, the guard suddenly made a quick movement and she suddenly felt him grab her from behind, a blade on her throat. Merrill started, her huge green eyes wide with fear, while Isabela cursed and Alyssa, who had just stood up, froze as she watched the scene unfold directly in front of her.

"What the fuck?" Faith swore under her breath. The guard's grip on her tightened and the blade actually punctured her skin.

"You can come quietly, Hawke, or choose to die if you fight back. It's your call," her captor said. Faith suddenly recognized the voice and she felt her heart drop all the way down to her stomach.

"As the Queen of Ferelden I order you to release this woman immediately," Alyssa shouted.

Sebastian burst out laughing. "Do you really think I care, _Your Highness_? You have no authority over me."

"Sebastian Vael!" Merrill squeaked, one of her hands reaching for her staff.

"Stop right there or she dies!" Sebastian thundered at Merrill. "You too, whore!" He turned to Isabela quickly, who cursed again.

Faith grunted as she was forced to stand up, and Sebastian started to back away his grip still tightly around her.

"Whatever he promised you, he lied. Just like the demon that lied to Lady Harimann, Sebastian. Remember that?" Faith said in a soft voice.

"Shut up!" Sebastian growled, tightening his grip once again. The dagger at Faith's throat was drawing some blood now and Faith clenched her jaw and gritted her teeth.

"You're going to die for this," Isabela snarled at Sebastian.

But Sebastian had reached the double doors and now pushed Faith against the wood. "Open the door," he ordered in a harsh voice.

At that moment, he looked away, his eyes falling on the door latch for barely seconds. But that was enough for both Merrill and Isabela. Isabela threw a dagger that embedded itself in his thigh, while Merrill cast a winter's grasp spell that froze him in place. Faith broke loose from his deadly embrace and hurried to stand next to Alyssa and the double doors were flung open by Anders who stood at the threshold breathing heavily. Alistair and Aveline stood behind Anders, their weapons drawn, and the rest of the guards rushed into the room, their swords at the ready.

Before anyone had time to realize that Sebastian was frozen, Anders cast a more powerful winter's grasp on him, followed by a lightning spell that electrocuted Sebastian. The smell of burnt flesh reached inundated the room and Faith found herself gagging.

"Love," Anders called out, his voice shaking slightly. "Are you all right?"

"Dizzy, ah! Going to vomit!" Faith managed to say, then fell onto the floor in a dead faint before Anders could gather her in his arms.

"Is he dead?" Merrill asked, her staff still pointing at the figure now on the marble stone floor.

"Nobody survives Anders's electric bolts. They only survive the sparks, Kitten," Isabela quipped giving Anders a wink.

Zevran arrived, panting slightly. "Am I late? Oh! I'm late! I so wanted to kill him!" He exclaimed in a mournful tone.

Anders had Faith in his arms and was putting her on the large settee in the room, his main concern getting her in a comfortable position. Alistair turned to the guards and asked them to remove the body at once.

"I don't understand," Aveline murmured. "How is it that the demon did not protect him enough?"

Anders turned to look at her. "The demon only wanted to turn him into an abomination. Demons consider 'the pious' souls' the best prize of them all. So it really didn't care if Sebastian lived or died. It was victorious because it had managed to turn a pious soul into a wicked one."

Anders turned back to Faith, his hands now scanning her for any injuries. The knick on her neck glowed and disappeared completely and he smiled, giving a relieved sigh.

"Are they all right?" Alyssa asked, her eyes soft and warm.

"Yes. They're both perfect. If it wasn't for Isabela and Merrill though…" Anders replied, turning to look at them both gratefully. "I can't thank you two enough, I'm afraid. I don't know if I'll ever be able to repay you."

"Oh, I'll think of something, Kitten," Isabela practically purred. Then she winked, a mischievous glint in her eye.

A groan escaped Anders's lips. "The worst part is that I _know_ you will."

…


	78. Mages and Templars

_**Just wanted to let you know that the mage-templar thing is my idea of what would happen in DA3, and is totally AU. The Inquisition thing actually did happen and is canon. But what is outlined in this chapter with the new Lord Seeker is totally my whacky imagination! LOL! **_

_**Also I would like to thank KnightOfHolyLight for his awesome review. I'm sorry, my friend - I thought I had included you in my A/N last time! I value your input very much! I'd also like to thank my good friend and editor LadyDarksbane for all her help! If you haven't already, please check her fic 'Family Matters' as she has just posted Chapter 2! Since they don't allow links here, click on my profile under My Favorites for the link! I also want to thank my friend, moosesaregreat for her help editing this chapter and for her constant feedback and suggestions! :D **_

_**I also want to thank all my loyal reviewers (KnightOfHolyLight, MB18932, LadyDarksbane, RexCirce4ever, ParisWriter, csorciere, koguma, darkkchylde, xx Twilight Princess xx, HoneyDrip) and all the people who have added this fic to their favorites and are following it! I just can't thank you enough for all your support! You guys rock! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! I swear! :D**_

Chapter 78 – Mages and Templars

A knock on the door startled Alistair, who had been focused on reading some parchments from the nobles. Teagan walked into the room with a sealed parchment in his hands.

"Sorry to disturb –"

"Ah! Just the person I wanted to speak to!" Alistair said, his amber eyes twinkling. "You're the regent. You can take care of these troublesome nobles, right?"

"Um…" Teagan blinked.

"I knew I could count on you!" Alistair exclaimed, getting up from his chair.

Teagan chuckled and shook his head. "Have I ever said no to you?"

"No, you haven't. Though I wonder if it's because I'm king or your nephew." Alistair mused.

"Both, actually," Teagan smiled. Then he grew serious again and held out the parchment to Alistair. "The man who delivered this came from Orlais. He will not leave without a reply."

Alistair took the parchment and read it, his eyes widening slightly. As soon as he was done, he fixed a bewildered gaze on Teagan.

"What is it?" Teagan asked quickly.

"The new Lord Seeker is asking us to turn the Divine over to them. He says that he will be sending a regiment of Seekers to fetch her. He is calling her a criminal for siding with the mages."

"I thought that after the death of Lord Seeker Lambert , the seekers had disbanded."

"So did I. Apparently this newly-appointed Lord Seeker wants to send out the seekers and templars to kill any mage they encounter. It's all in the missive," Alistair sighed, giving Teagan the parchment. "The Lord Seeker also mentions in passing that as an ex-templar, he is sure I will cooperate."

Teagan finished reading the missive, which was rather long and wordy. He looked up at Alistair. "This is terrible news!" Teagan exclaimed. "Are they just going to kill any mage on sight?"

"Apparently," Alistair replied dryly. He then crossed the room and opened the door. "Call the Knight Captain, Leliana and the Divine, please." He then shut the door softly and turned back to Teagan. "Where is the messenger?"

"He's waiting for a reply in the throne room."

"Good. He won't be in the way, then," Alistair sighed.

There was a knock on the door and the Divine entered the room with Leliana following silently behind her. Wordlessly Alistair took the parchment from Teagan and handed it to her. The Divine took it with a smile but as she read, her smile froze and her brow furrowed.

"When did this arrive?" She asked.

"Just now, Your Holiness," Alistair supplied.

Aveline knocked and walked into the room when she was ordered to do so. Alistair smiled at her and then turned back to the Divine.

"I did not think they would do such a thing," the Divine murmured, handing the missive back to Alistair. "It looks like the templars will become the Inquisition like they did so many years ago."

Alistair nodded. He had read about that dark time in the history books when he was training his templar skills. He remembered he hadn't liked it one bit. He turned back to Aveline.

"Aveline, you must accompany the Divine and Leliana to Castle Cousland. You must take the longer routes and avoid being seen." Leliana blushed slightly, and fidgeted uncomfortably, but did not say a word.

"As you wish, Your Majesty," Aveline bowed. The Divine turned to Alistair with a smile on her face.

"You do not have to do this, Your Majesty. I can turn myself in to avoid the repercussions," Justinia said softly.

"No," Alistair replied firmly. "I won't turn you in. You are what the new Chantry needs. Please be quick about packing. I would like you to leave before I go to the throne room to deliver my reply to the messenger."

"The Maker will bless you always, Your Majesty," the Divine replied simply, her eyes warm.

"Good. In times like these, I need all the blessings I can get."

…

Anders walked into the library and spotted Faith sitting at a table reading. He smiled to himself as he crossed the room and walked towards her. Faith looked up and her eyes lit up.

"I have some news, sweetheart," Anders mumbled as he planted a kiss on the crown of her head. He sat down and looked down curiously at the book she was reading. The title "Motherhood" jumped up at him and he smiled warmly at her.

"I hope it's good news," Faith replied, a smile tugging at the corners off her lips.

"Well, not good or bad. Some of it is rather good at least," Anders replied, taking her hand in his and squeezing affectionately. "The Divine has left for Castle Cousland with Leliana, Aveline and a number of guards. A messenger arrived from Orlais. Apparently, the seekers are reorganizing the templars and have elected a Lord Seeker, who is a mage hater like the previous Lord Seeker. The missive asked Alistair to turn the Divine over to him. He refused, of course. The Divine has been sent into hiding to Castle Cousland. Alistair sent back his reply to the Lord Seeker an hour ago. We've been chatting about this in the throne room. Another thing was that he asked me to become the palace healer. I don't know if you want to stay here, but I feel that we should stay. I don't think you should travel anywhere in your condition. I want to deliver my child somewhere safe, and this palace is as safe as it gets right now."

Faith's mouth dropped open. "'Some of it is good', you said? None of it is good, as far as I can tell!"

"I'm guessing that means you don't want to stay here?" Anders replied frowning.

"No, it's not that at all. I like it here, and Alyssa and the children keep me entertained. But I also want to help out as much as I can. But I'm getting really round and fat and I can't really move as fast as I used to," Faith ended the sentence with a sigh. Her hand automatically went to her growing belly. She was six months pregnant and felt very heavy at times.

Anders caressed her bulging belly affectionately. "You look beautiful, darling. And once our baby is born you'll get back in shape, I'm sure." His eyes were shining warmly and she smiled at him. He was so looking forward to becoming a father that she felt sometimes like she was living in a dream world. All she had to do was open her mouth and ask for something, and Anders would make sure she got it. He was pampering her shamelessly and she loved it.

"I know how much you love being a healer. If that is what you want to do, of course we'll stay here, my love," Faith said in a low, warm voice while Anders's smile deepened into a grin. Then he claimed her lips with a kiss.

When they came up for air, Faith looked deeply into his kind, brown eyes and felt herself melt. Maker, even after being with him for such a long time, he still made her heart race. She smiled and a blush tainted her cheeks.

"Copper for your thoughts?" Anders whispered, as he took her into his arms, and she sat on his lap, giggling.

"I was just thinking…oh! Never mind! Let's just get to our room, then I'll show you what I was thinking," she practically purred.

"I can't wait," he replied hoarsely, then burst out laughing as they stood up. "I can't carry you, though."

His eyes were twinkling and she stuck out her tongue at him. "I can walk. I'm with child, not an invalid."

He chuckled again as they walked out arm in arm, meeting Isabela along the way.

"Ah, here you are. I've got some news!" Isabela exclaimed, her brown eyes twinkling.

"If you're talking about the missive the king received and the Divine leaving the palace, then, we already know," Anders commented.

Isabela shook her head, her eyes wide. "I didn't know that!"

"Oh! What news are you talking about then?" Anders asked curiously as they continued to walk towards their room.

"I got a missive today, but I'm thinking that your news is better than mine!" Isabela exclaimed.

"Well, out with it then!" Faith said rather impatiently. She was beginning to feel hot in the warm dress she had on and longed for a bath and a massage from Anders.

"Varric is coming over to visit!" Isabela said, just as they arrived at the door to their room.

"What? He knows we're in Denerim?" Faith replied. Anders had his arms on her shoulders. He was now rubbing them gently and Faith found herself relaxing.

"I wrote to him, Kitten," Isabela said. "Though I didn't use your names, of course. Kirkwall is still dangerous for all of us. How Varric manages to live there is a mystery to me."

"Varric has too much in the merchant's guild, as well as protection from the Carta," Anders said in a low voice. "He can take care of himself."

"Well, so can I," Isabela said. "But I _am _really careful not to put myself in dangerous situations if I can avoid it."

"Did he say when he was arriving?" Faith asked with a smile.

"No, not really. He knows better than to write out dates. Fortunately we have nicknames for you both, so if the letter falls into the wrong hands, I know they won't know who we're talking about."

"Nicknames?" Faith asked. "I know I'm going to regret asking this but, what nicknames?"

"Well, you are 'Chuckles', obviously," Isabela smiled.

"I'm not even going to ask the nickname you've given me. I'm hoping it's still Blondie," Anders deadpanned.

"Noooo! I chose your nickname. It's 'Sparkle-fingers', of course!" Isabela laughed.

"Of course it is." Anders rolled his eyes while Faith giggled.

"I presume you have things to do?" Isabela asked mischievously. "I can't tempt you to a sparring contest?"

"Oh, no you don't! Ever since you asked me to spar that day because I owed you for saving Faith's life, I've learned my lesson well," Anders said sternly.

Faith and Isabela both burst out laughing. The 'sparring' had really been a prank. As soon as Anders had stepped through the door to the sparring room, a bucket of freezing water had fallen over him, drenching him completely, while Isabela had stood on the opposite side of the room, laughing like a maniac with Zevran chuckling at her side. Anders had stood there sputtering, while Faith joined in on the laughter. He had stormed out of the room, with Faith giggling behind him.

"No, Kitten! I wouldn't do that to you again. I promised not to, remember?" Isabela managed to say through peals of laughter.

"Riiiight. And I'm supposed to believe you?" Anders barked back, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"Your loss, Kitten," Isabela said, winking playfully. "See you at dinner then!"

Anders gave a sigh of relief as he stepped inside, then took Faith in his arms as soon as she had locked the door behind her.

"Mmmm. I want a bath, darling," Faith whispered in between kisses.

"Your wish is my command," Anders mumbled back.

…

Lord Seeker Laurent crumpled the missive from the King of Ferelden into a tight ball, thoroughly disgusted. He did not say a word to the messenger, but paid him and asked him to leave in a cold voice. He then went inside his study and closed the door behind him.

He had been hoping for the king's help in this matter. The truth of the matter is that while he had made sure to spread the news of a new templar order as well as what he was doing with the seekers, it had been partly lies. He really didn't have very many templar recruits and he hadn't even sent out the templars to kill mages on sight. He needed more men for that, and help from other kingdoms. He didn't have the resources right now to carry out an attack on the King of Ferelden either. Besides, Orlais was still fighting a Civil War, one that the remaining Templars were assisting with.

He sighed and shook his head, frowning. It would take time to get his act together. It wasn't all bad news, however. He'd heard news of the Civil War coming to an end. Empress Celene was finally giving the nobles what they wanted, and it seemed like the war would soon be ending. It seemed that there would soon be peace in Orlais at last.

And then, then it would be the right moment to start with his plans. He would make sure all the mages were killed for their horrendous crimes. They were all evil anyway; blood mages summoning demons all the time. He would free Thedas from their evil spell even if it killed him.

The very first thing he would do is set up the Inquisition again. The Templars would cease being Templars and would dedicate their lives to capturing and killing mages. The circles no longer worked, the mages had seen to that. It was time to act against these abominations and crush them. He would recruit new Templars. Seek out people who feared and hated mages, as well. They would make good Templars. They would make a good Inquisition Company.

He smiled as he envisioned the future in his mind's eye. Soon, the mages would stop thinking themselves independent. Soon they would be stopped.

There was a knock on the door. Lord Seeker Laurent stood up and opened it. A young, cowering Seeker stood before him.

"My Lord Seeker, the war has finally ended. Empress Celene is returning to the palace as we speak," the youth said, trembling slightly.

"Ah. Most excellent news! You are dismissed," Laurent said, nodding and smiling. The young man left in a hurry and the Lord Seeker shut the door and burst out laughing.

It was time to finally put his plan in action.

…

"I wish we were home!" Faith pouted. It was a hot day, and she was feeling really heavy. She was already in her seventh month and the heat was making her uncomfortable. She sighed and sat on the large bench in the garden. Anders had brought her here to relax, but he had not really thought about how much the heat could bother her.

"You mean back in Llomerryn, love?" Anders asked, smoothing her hair tenderly.

"Yes! I miss my cousin and even Fenris!" Faith shot back.

"I understand you missing Rilka, love. But Fenris? You must be feverish," he joked, a smile tugging on the corners of his lips.

"Don't joke about this, I'm really serious!" Faith practically snarled back at him, but Anders still smiled, struggling to keep himself from bursting out laughing.

"Of course, love," Anders managed to say demurely. "I promise we'll travel back there as soon as our son is born."

"Son? Why do men always presume it's a boy? It's going to be a girl!" Faith shot back, stomping her foot on the ground to emphasize what she was saying.

"Ah! This is how I wanted to find you both! Speaking to each other in dulcet tones," a voice cried out from the entrance to the garden.

Faith stood up, her eyes widening and her mouth parting in surprise.

"Varric!" She squealed, clapping her hands together! "You came!"

The dwarf advanced, chuckling and was swept up into a hug by both Faith and Anders.

"Of course I came!" The dwarf replied as soon as he could. "You didn't think I'd miss the birth of your child, now did you?"

…


	79. Gift from the Maker

_**Thanks to csorciere, MB18932, darkkchylde, koguma, LadyDarksbane, KnightOfHolyLight, HoneyDrip, xx Twilight Princess xx for your awesome reviews! I'd also like to thank my two wonderful editors LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for their constant help and awesome feedback! **_

_**This chapter is short, but sweet. I'm giving an insight of what I think DA3 is all about – mainly the templars vs. the mages. I have included some of the characters from Asunder in this fic also. If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it! :D **_

_**Everything belongs to Bioware, of course! I just play with the characters! ;) **_

Chapter 79 – Gift from the Maker

Grand Enchanter Fiona sighed as she looked through the papers on her desk. A headache was threatening to stop her progress and she frowned. Furrowing her brow, she tried to focus on the task she had committed herself to, but her eyes were now throbbing. She stood up immediately and walked briskly out of the room.

The years had been kind to the elven mage, as there were hardly any wrinkles that gave away her real age. Her hair, once a dark reddish brown now had hints of silver here and there, and it was the only indication of how old she might be. Turning a corner, she spotted the person she wanted to talk to and smiled – or tried to. The headache was now making her eyes water.

"Rhys, thank the Maker," she uttered in relief.

Rhys turned to face her with a smile which vanished when he saw her pale face.

"Is something wrong, Grand Enchanter?" He asked, crossing the room quickly to stand before her.

"Bloody headache," Fiona blurted out. "Can't even focus on healing myself…"

Rhys brought his hands up to the Grand Enchanter's head. A soft, blue glow could be seen emanating from them as he healed Fiona. When he was done, Fiona actually rewarded him with a brilliant smile, something that no one but Rhys and a few others had ever seen.

"Ah, thank you so much," Fiona mumbled out in a sing-song voice. Rhys only chuckled and smiled back. Fiona was about to turn around, but she lifted her head and studied Rhys instead, deep in thought. After a few moments, she made up her mind and spoke again.

"Rhys, what do you know about the mage who blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall?"

Rhys blinked back, totally taken aback by her question.

"Know? As much as anyone else, I assume," Rhys replied after a moment's hesitation. "Why?"

"I'm trying to track him down. He is very important to us," Fiona replied, her brow furrowed, her eyes looking past Rhys. She was lost in thought for a few moments, so Rhys held his tongue while he thought about the mage who had blown up the Kirkwall Chantry. He didn't like what this mage had done, so he kept quiet, for it was no secret that Fiona admired this mage and he didn't want to cross her.

Fiona now fixed her amber eyes on Rhys, tilting her head. "If you were to look anywhere for him, where would you look?"

"I know where I wouldn't look," Rhys replied. "The mage in question is Ferelden and I doubt he'd be stupid enough to hide there. Everyone would think about looking for him there and I suppose they already have," Rhys snapped back and Fiona's expression darkened.

"He is a hero!" Fiona hurried to say.

"He is a monster who killed many innocents," Rhys shot back, his expression hardening.

"The worse kind of monster would be the one that does nothing for our people," Fiona replied dryly.

Rhys did not reply. He knew better than to test the Grand Enchanter's temper and his was already bubbling beneath the surface.

A voice behind Rhys caused him to look behind him. Evangeline was walking towards them with a smile on her face. Rhys smiled back, but whether it was in relief or because he was happy to see her was hard to tell.

"Good afternoon, Grand Enchanter," Evangeline nodded to Fiona respectfully. Turning to Rhys, she grinned as she spoke to him. "I've been looking all over for you."

Rhys caught her hand and squeezed. "Oh? Well it looks like you found me."

"I'll leave you two for now, then. I must finish a series of missives today and am falling behind," Fiona said briskly, nodding at Evangeline and turning sharply on her heel. Evangeline watched her leave and shook her head.

"She always does that. Could it be that she dislikes me?" Evangeline wondered, shifting uncomfortably in her Templar armor.

Rhys chuckled and leaned forward to give her a chaste kiss. "The Grand Enchanter is that way with everyone, love. You know this. Don't let it get to you."

"Maybe," Evangeline said thoughtfully and then smiled up at Rhys. "But I think I'll ask our blacksmith to make me a new suit of armor, just in case."

Rhys chuckled. "Yes, that would be a good idea. I think every single mage here doesn't like the templar armor at all. But so far we're doing all right, and that's somewhat of a miracle."

"The templars here have sided with us. It does seem like a miracle doesn't it? More and more templars have been coming to join our ranks, particularly after the last battle. I never thought that would happen, to be honest."

"Neither did I, love," Rhys replied, kissing her forehead. "Neither did I."

…

Merrill knocked on the door and went inside when she heard Faith asking her to come in. She smiled at Faith as she sat at the table, but Faith returned her smile rather weakly.

"How are you feeling, Lethallan?" Merrill asked in a concerned voice.

"Like I swallowed rocks, thanks," Faith replied in a sour voice.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Merrill replied with the saddest look in her eyes. Faith immediately felt sorry she had complained.

"No, Merrill. Thanks so much for coming to visit. This baby was supposed to be born three days ago! I don't understand why it's taking so long!"

Merrill smiled. "I think it will be born when it wants to, not when you want it to be born, Hawke."

Hawke scowled. "Thanks. I kind of figured that out myself, Merrill."

Anders walked into the room, greeting Merrill and bending down to kiss Faith on the crown of her head.

"It's rather late, Merrill. Can't sleep?" Anders asked kindly.

"I – I just wanted to visit and let you both know that I'll be travelling back to Llomerryn after the baby is born," Merrill stammered out. "I think I should continue with my lessons there, and help out."

Faith managed to nod after a few seconds. "I totally understand Merrill. I'll miss you terribly though!"

"I will too, Lethallan."

"You're a good friend, Merrill. I-" At that moment, Faith felt her insides being torn apart and she paled. Anders dropped to his knees when he saw his wife's expression.

"What is it, love? Is it the baby?"

Faith began to pant, as another wave of pain hit her and she managed to nod weakly. Beads of perspiration could be seen on her forehead and Anders turned to Merrill.

"Merrill, please ask the servants to heat some water and bring some clean cloths over and quickly!" He exclaimed, while he took Faith in his arms and lay her down on the bed. "Hurry!"

Merrill broke into a run, leaving the door open behind her. Anders sent out a wave of soothing energy to lessen the pain, but Faith was already writhing as the next wave of pain hit her.

She screamed and fixed her eyes on Anders.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck! As soon as this baby is born, I'm going to kill youuuuuuuuuuuuu!" She ended in another scream, and Anders blinked back for a moment, forgetting all his healing skills altogether. He pulled himself together very quickly though, and his hands massaged her belly while he whispered soothingly to her.

But Faith screamed again.

…

Zevran and Isabela were lying on the bed trying to catch their breaths after having made love, wrapped in each other's arms. Isabela was already drifting off to sleep, but a movement from Zevran caused her to open her eyes and stare at him.

"Bella, I'm giving this to you again," Zevran said extending his hand to hers.

Isabela looked down at the object he held in his hand. The gold earring caught the in the soft firelight and glinted. She looked back into Zevran's golden eyes, which were now full of hope and felt her heart somersaulting.

"If you do not wish to wear it, I would understand, Bella. But I hope you will."

Isabela was quiet for a few moments, her gaze on the earring again. Zevran's heart sank and he made a movement to tuck the earring away in the pouch on the table next to the bed, but Isabela's hand stopped him.

"Yes, Zevran," she said quietly. "I'll wear it. I don't want you to ever leave!"

"I will never leave you, Bella! I love you. Ah, I am so happy!" Zevran exclaimed as he leaned forward to capture her lips.

At that moment they heard Faith's screams and Isabela shot out of the bed, followed by Zevran who was already gathering his armor.

"Do you think someone broke into the palace and is attacking her?" Zevran asked.

"Don't be silly, you goose! She's having the baby!" Isabela retorted and finished dressing. Then she sprinted out of the room.

…

Elizabeth Bachmeier was born in Harvestmere, when the weather had gotten cooler. She was born in the middle of one of the worst thunderstorms in Ferelden. She was unusually quiet for a new-born baby, but then again Faith's screams had drowned everything out. After screaming that she would kill Anders again, who was doing his best to assist her, she gave a final scream before Elizabeth was finally born.

Anders washed and bundled his daughter, a stupid grin on his face. When he brought her to Faith, she was subdued and very tired, but looked at her daughter with such fierce love in her eyes, that Anders's grin deepened. Elizabeth cooed up at her mother and gurgled at her father. Both Anders and Faith shared a tender look and then Isabela's voice reached their ears from the other side of the door.

"We're still here, you know! We know it's been born!"

Faith chuckled, while Anders made his way to the door, still grinning stupidly.

"You can't come in yet. Our daughter is about to have her first meal, and I think they need the privacy."

"A girl?" Merrill squealed.

"I knew it!" Isabela cried out.

"Hawke always gets her way, doesn't she?" Varric chuckled.

"Indeed she does," Zevran grinned.

Alyssa said nothing, her eyes warm and moist. But it was Alistair's reaction that surprised Anders most of all for the King of Ferelden cried out while giving Anders such a bear hug that Anders felt himself suffocating.

"Have you decided on a name yet?" Alyssa whispered to Anders.

Anders hurried to nod. "Elizabeth. Elizabeth Bachmeier," he said proudly.

"Oh, let them in!" Faith called from the bed. "It isn't as if they've never seen a child nursing, right?"

And Anders opened the door wide, stepping to the side. Everyone walked in quietly, taking in the sight of the wee baby suckling on her mother's breast. Nobody spoke, but they smiled warmly at the scene.

"The miracle of life, yes?" Zevran whispered reverently.

"Yes. Truly the most beautiful miracle there is," Anders replied in a low voice, his warm gaze fixing on Faith's loving one.

…

The two templars who had been travelling in silence stopped to camp for the night. They would not be arriving at their destination after all, and they were silently disappointed. One of them lit a fire while the other one set up the tents. It was not until they managed to eat their meal that they started talking.

"I thought for sure that we would get there soon. Curse our luck!"

"Stop complaining, _mon ami_. We will be there soon enough," the other one replied.

There was a rustling in the bushes and they both turned at the same time, while grabbing their swords. One of them started to walk slowly towards where they had heard the sound, trying not to make a sound, but his armor creaked. At that moment a woman cried out and crawled out of the bushes.

"Don't kill me, Messers! I wandered in the woods from the village and got lost!" The girl cried.

"You are from the village?" The templar asked, while his companion walked towards them.

"_Oui_! Please, help me get back!" The girl cried.

The templar narrowed his eyes. "You are a mage, are you not?" He hissed.

The girl's eyes opened wide in fear. "Please! I have not done anything wrong!"

"That you are a mage is enough," the templar said as he plunged the sword he was pointing at the girl directly into her heart. The girl's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a silent scream.

"One more. Lambert will be pleased."

"And the Maker will bless us," the other one replied.

…


	80. The Trap

_**I'm alive! LOL! Sorry for not updating but I was ill and kind of down, so my muse took a vacation! But she's back! YAY!**_

_**I want to thank my two lovely editors, moosesaregreat and LadyDarksbane for helping me out with this chapter! You two ladies are the best! I also want to thank all those of you who reviewed! Thank you so much xx Twilight Princess xx, koguma, KnightOfHolyLight, darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane and MB18932! Your feedback means a lot to me! :D **_

_**So, we are living in a world now where the mages and templars (a great deal of them forming the Inquisition) are constantly fighting. The Lord Seeker, however, is using a lot of spies and plans each move carefully, so right now he has the upper hand. **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I swear! **_

Chapter 80 – The Trap

In the months that followed, Anders devoted his time to healing and tending to his daughter and wife. Even though his hair now had sprinkles of grey, he still was lean and athletic, and spent some time sparring with the dummies in the armory.

The missive arrived when he was in the throne room. All missives were read by Alistair first, but at that moment Alistair had granted two nobles audience and the tray with the missives was set aside. As such, the missives were not read till much later, after their mid-day meal. Alistair called Anders to his study at once.

"Anders, we have a problem," Alistair announced as soon as Anders had closed the door of the study behind him.

"Just the one?" Anders smiled back.

"Ha! Funny, that," Alistair grinned. "No, but seriously, this missive arrived today. The templars have attacked Kinloch Hold. They come from Orlais and call themselves 'the Inquisition'. I will send off a missive to Empress Celene at once. But I wanted to let you know because I want to go and defend the mages." Anders nodded. Alistair cleared his throat. "However, I want to have my healer at my side. I need your help, my friend. What say you?"

Anders's heart sank. He owed Alistair, more that he could ever repay him, but he also did not want to go and leave his wife and daughter. He frowned, deep in thought and shook his head slightly.

"Don't think this is an order or anything," Alistair was quick to say. "Talk it over with Faith, first. I do need your help, but I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

"This is –" Anders groped for the right words to say.

"Complicated? Troublesome? A pain in the arse?" Alistair supplied. He was using his joking tone, but had a worried look in his eyes. "I'll need a reply by this evening if we are to arrive at Kinloch Hold in time to defend the mages."

Anders shook his head. "I – I'll go speak to Faith at once."

"Yes, of course. Please let me know what you decide," Alistair replied softly.

…

"How long will you be gone?" Faith asked, trying to keep the tears from falling.

"Love," Anders said, pulling her close. "I don't have to go. I can stay here with you and Elizabeth, where I belong."

"No," Faith said, lifting her head and looking at him straight in the eyes. "You need to do this for the king. He is your friend, and this could escalate. This templar faction that calls itself 'the Inquisition' is causing too much death all over Thedas."

"When Empress Celene hears about this assault on Ferelden, she will put a stop to it because these Templars are Orlesian, sent here by the Lord Seeker himself. She will help the king because he helped her during the Civil War. But still, I do not want to leave you, my love," Anders shook his head, his eyes sad as he bent down to kiss her.

"You have to go, Anders. Elizabeth and I will be fine. Alistair has risked a lot for us. We owe him," Faith whispered.

"I know," Anders murmured.

"Keep the king safe. Without him, Ferelden will fall to these madmen. And if this happens, all will perish."

…

The fact that Anders would miss his daughter's first birthday had him a tad bit nettled. He held her close for longer than he did Faith, and she wriggled in his arms and laughed. Smiling he gave her back to Faith and murmured he loved her, then turned away quickly, struggling to get a grip on himself.

Alistair was taking a hundred soldiers with them, but had left Aveline at the palace to watch over everyone. They marched into the twilight, stopping only to eat and rest for the night.

It took them three weeks to get to Kinloch Hold. The docks were quite deserted when they finally arrived except for all the corpses lying around. Alistair made his way into 'The Spoiled Princess' to inquire about the mages with Anders close behind.

"Nobody has heard anything from the Tower," the innkeeper said. "I've been hiding in the basement, and only came back out when I didn't hear the shouts and screams anymore, so I don't know what's happened."

They quickly left the inn and headed towards the docks. Nobody was there to man the boat, which in itself was an ominous sign.

"Only one boat, how convenient," Anders murmured.

"We'll row to the tower in groups of six. We'll wait until all of us are there before entering the tower," Alistair shrugged then barked out his orders to the men.

"Shouldn't we see anything at all by now? The Tower looks dark, not a single light," Anders frowned.

"That isn't a good sign," Alistair replied. "All this looks like a bloody trap to me."

"I can't really think of the mages losing to the Inquisition. Maybe they are hiding, expecting more templars?"

"We'll know soon enough," Alistair murmured. "Our turn for the boat."

"And here I thought I couldn't get more excited. Wonderful."

…

The Inquisition sprang its ambush while they were searching for surviving mages . They had probably seen them arrive and had been waiting for them to make their way into the tower. Alistair had expected this, however, and had given his men the order to stay alert with their swords drawn as they advanced. What he did not know, however, was that there were far more Templars than soldiers, and they would soon be outnumbered.

"Where are the bloody mages?" Alistair cried out as he rammed his shield against the nearest templar. "I haven't seen any!"

"I'm guessing the dungeons," Anders yelled back, flinging a winter's grasp at a group of templars heading towards him. "I do wonder how they managed to –" his words ended in a cry as one of the Inquisition quickly sent out a powerful smite and Anders was literally thrown two feet while the smiling templar advanced on Alistair.

"Your friend is right," the Templar said in a heavy Orlesian accent. "The surviving mages are in the dungeons. As you will be when I'm done with you."

Alistair quickly deflected his blow with is shield and smiled. "I'd really like to know the name of the idiot who sent you here."

"Lord Seeker Laurent is no idiot!" The Templar yelled furiously as he flung himself on Alistair.

Alistair deftly parried the attack again, but was not counting on the templar behind him, who quickly used the pommel of his sword to knock him out.

"The Lord Seeker will be so pleased," the Templar grinned.

"The Lord Seeker is very pleased indeed," Laurent said as he stepped forward from the darkness.

…

The throbbing pain in his head jolted Alistair to consciousness. He was in one of the dungeon cells and groaned as the pain got unbearable.

"You are so predictable," Lord Seeker Laurent said as he stood in front of the cell. "I knew this attack would bring you running to defend the mages."

"Empress Celene will hear of this," Alistair said through clenched teeth.

"I do not care if she does," Laurent replied. "We will be long gone by then. We have what we came for."

Alistair scowled. "And what is it that you came for?"

Laurent gave him a wolfish grin. "Why I'm surprised that _the Great_ _King _Alistair hasn't figured it out yet. The abomination, of course. The one that blew up the Chantry. We need him, you see. Not you. You and your remaining men will be released as soon as I've left with him."

"I'll get you for this," Alistair said quietly.

"I'm sure you will," replied Laurent, nodding. He gave Alistair another wolfish grin and turned to leave, pausing for a few seconds to deliver his parting remark. "But you will have to find me first."

…

Anders opened his eyes and sighed. He tried moving his hands which were securely tied behind his back again, but he had no luck in loosening the knots. They were taking him somewhere but he had not yet managed to figure out where. The only thing he knew was the pain of them smiting him three times a day as well as draining all his mana.

The wagon stopped and he grunted as he fell on his side. When he opened his eyes, one of the templars approached and gave him some water, then got off the wagon again. Two other templars appeared and carried him off the wagon to tents that had been set up at the side of the road.

"Please," Anders croaked to one of the templars. "I just want something to eat and more water. I won't try to escape, I promise."

The templar did not even look at him. Another man approached and smiled down at him.

"Ah, the abomination. A hero to the mages. You know you are seen as a hero, I presume?"

Anders blinked back at the question but did not reply. He felt dizzy and the hunger was almost too much to bear. The man turned to one of the templars and ordered him to bring a bowl of stew.

"You will serve your purpose well, mage," the man spoke again, while he started to feed Anders some of the stew. "Then, we will finally have the upper hand. The Maker is on my side as you stupid, groveling mages will soon see."

Anders remained silent, but the man continued talking, not really expecting him to answer. The stew was good, and Anders felt his strength slowly returning to him. Then the man stopped feeding him and took the bowl away. Anders watched him go, and continued to struggle, trying to loosen the knots in the ropes that bound him. The man returned with some water.

"Where are we?" Anders asked as soon as the man took the water skin away.

"That is not important. What is important is where we are heading," the man replied, his lips twisting into a sardonic smile. "My name is Laurent. Lord Seeker Laurent. And I suggest you sleep while you can. We have a long journey ahead of us."

"I'm surprised you are feeding me yourself, Lord Seeker," Anders murmured.

"I felt curious about you and wanted to see how powerful you really were," Laurent said. Without any prior warning the man suddenly flung out his arms and drained Anders's mana. Anders fell back to the ground, panting. "Not so powerful, it seems..."

"I was different when I blew up the Chantry. I no longer host the spirit," Anders managed to say.

"Ah, that is new to me. But it makes no difference." The man turned and yelled out his orders in Orlesian, and two templars came over and sat in attention in front of Anders, watching him warily. "Good night, mage."

Anders watched him leave, and then closed his eyes wearily. He thought about his daughter's birthday and longed to see her laughing face again. But as he rolled over on his side trying to find a more comfortable spot to sleep in, he focused his thoughts on Faith and sighed, wondering if he would ever see _her_ again.

For now, it looked like he would not.

…

Faith hurried into the throne room. The king had arrived an hour ago, but she had been feeding Elizabeth. Now, she quickly made her way to the raised dais at the end of the room where Alistair stood, talking to Alyssa and Teagan. They all turned and looked at her seriously.

"Where is Anders?" Faith demanded.

"I'm sorry, Faith," Alistair said sadly. "They set a trap for us and took him. I've already sent out a missive to Empress Celene."

Faith blinked back. "Took him? Where? And what does Empress Celene have to do with all this?"

"They were definitely Orlesian, and no normal Templars. They called themselves the 'Inquisition', so I'm thinking everything has a lot to do with the mages in Andoral's Reach. They may be heading in that direction," Alistair replied.

"But why?" Faith asked. "Why would they do this?"

"Lord Seeker Laurent has a plan, no doubt," Alyssa said. "Which clearly involves Anders. I don't know if -"

At that moment the doors at the opposite end of the room creaked open and Varric, Isabela and Zevran walked in. "We have an idea of what is going on," Varric said. "Well, _I _have an idea of what is going on. The mages in Andoral's Reach admire Anders. The Grand Enchanter specifically. He may be this Lord Seeker's only hope to get to the mages."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Alistair asked, an incredulous look on his face.

"Oh, I get around," Varric replied, giving him a lopsided grin. His grin disappeared as he turned to Faith. "Don't worry, Chuckles. They won't kill him. He's too important to them."

"Thanks, Varric, I kind of figured that out already," Faith practically snarled. "Anything else you know?"

Varric smiled at this. "I know the route they are taking. The dwarves have eyes and ears everywhere."

"Indeed," Zevran chimed in, a note of admiration in his voice. "You are even better than the Antivan Crows. And _that_ is saying a lot."

…


	81. Aching For You

_**Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay, been having terrible PC problems! Also RL is not so good at the moment, so I'm trying to do my best to get a chapter to you on a weekly basis, but it could turn into two weeks. I'd like to thank moosesaregreat for her wonderful editing skills and LadyDarksbane for her constant support and feedback! I'd also like to thank my wonderful reviewers (MB18932, xx Twilight Princess xx, KnightOfHolyLight, darkkchylde, koguma and LadyDarksbane) and those of you who have favorited this fic and are following it! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything! :D **_

Chapter 81 – Aching For You

His whole body ached. Anders groaned as he tried to turn in the wooden cage they kept him in, but he could not find a comfortable position. A templar heard him and quickly flung out his arms as he sent out a holy smite that made him writhe in pain. He hardly had the strength to open his eyes, but did not care anymore. He was past caring and lay back on the dirty hay, wheezing for breath. The only thing that was keeping him alive was the yearning in his heart to see Faith again.

It had been a month since his capture. Lord Seeker Laurent had been very careful to cover his tracks. Laurent had taken a longer route and changed the way they were going several times, no doubt to avoid pursuit. His plan had worked. He saw no signs of anyone following them, so he was overjoyed to say the least. He had succeeded in turning his whole company of templars into phantoms as well, so at the end of the month he decided to stop by one of the smaller villages for supplies and a hot decent meal.

The people at the only inn watched him and his first officers with trepidation. The Lord Seeker's lip curled upwards in disdain. They were probably mage lovers. Most of Orlais had sided with the mages, especially since that stupid woman, the Divine, had pronounced herself in favor of the mages. His eyes flashed angrily. The way that stupid King Alistair had spirited her away had him nettled and he swore he would have his revenge. But not yet. There were other pressing matters that required his attention first.

"I require meals for two hundred men, and rooms for myself and the two men you see here," the Lord Seeker demanded.

"We don't have two rooms, Messer. Just the one," the innkeeper said, squirming uncomfortably under the angry gaze of the Lord Seeker.

"Stupid backward little village. Very well. I shall take the room. You two can remain here if you wish," he nodded towards his two men. Then he turned back to the innkeeper. "I wish a bath drawn in my room with plenty of hot water. Can you cook for two hundred?"

The innkeeper's wife stepped behind the counter. She was a pretty redhead and the Lord Seeker's snarl turned into a charming smile, but she glared back.

"Two hundred? I think not, Messer!" She practically screamed back.

"Shh! Yvette!" Shushed the innkeeper, trembling slightly in fear, but the Lord Seeker threw back his head and laughed.

"Ah! A spirited one!" The Lord Seeker finally said as soon as he had stopped laughing. "Very well, cook what you can, and distribute it evenly." He turned back to his two men. "The rest will have to cook over the open fires, yes? Please make sure our 'guest' eats. We need him to get back his strength before we arrive."

His two men nodded mechanically and stepped out to bark orders. The Lord Seeker smiled and bowed at the innkeeper's wife, who had a disgusted look on her face. "_Enchante_," he murmured.

"I'll show you to your room, Messer," the innkeeper said in a quavering voice.

…

Faith glared at everyone. She simply could not accept the fact that they had lost the trail yet again.

"I thought you two were good at tracking," she snarled. Isabela protested while Zevran gave her a pout that spoke volumes.

"It's not like they've left obvious signs for us to follow!" Isabela said, her eyes still darting around the bushes of the clearing that they were in. "This idiot really knows how to cover his tracks!"

"Not actually an idiot, then, hmm?" Zevran said, kneeling for a moment to observe the grass carefully.

"We have to stop and rest for a moment, Hawke. Everyone is exhausted. We've been pushing-" Varric stopped talking for Faith was now glaring at him. He pursed his lips and pretended to look up at the sky.

"I think we should set up camp here. Zevran, couldn't you scout ahead and make sure it is safe?" Alistair suggested as he set his pack on the ground.

"Fine! If you want to rest so much then so be it," Faith mumbled angrily. They had been travelling for nearly a month now, and had picked up the trail only twice so far. At the moment, they were in Orlais, but felt like they were getting no closer to their destination.

Zevran returned with the news that there was nothing even remotely dangerous for miles around and they all busied themselves setting up the tents and gathering firewood for a fire.

"Is it my turn to cook?" Alistair asked and they all hurried to shake their heads and say no. Alistair's cooking was still awful and they had so far managed to keep him away from the cooking pot. Faith busied herself skinning a rabbit that Zevran had brought back. She was quiet and withdrawn during dinner, and the rest of the group could not think of anything to say, so they all retired to their tents hoping there would be more productive days in the near future.

Faith fell asleep with Anders on her mind and his face was the first thing that came to her head when she woke up the next day. The fact that she had had to leave Elizabeth behind was also lending a certain urgency to the whole trip and she found herself tearing up many times during their journey, but wiped her tears every time so that her friends would not see her in such a state.

A week later, they were walking down a dirt-beaten path when Zevran announced that there was a small village up ahead.

"It would be a good idea to set up camp here. I'd suggest a small group to visit the village and ask around to see if Laurent and his men have been around," Alistair said in a quiet voice. Faith nodded to this wearily, her eyes sad and hopeful as she looked around. As Alistair turned to bark orders to his men, Varric approached Faith.

"Listen, Chuckles, I'm sorry we're having no luck, but you do realize it's only a matter of time before we find some clue to where they are, don't you?" Varric said softly.

Faith smiled sadly at the dwarf. "I'm sorry to be in such a foul mood all the time, Varric. It's just that-" Faith swallowed trying to keep the tears from falling. Varric patted her arm reassuringly.

"It's fine, Hawke. We all understand and I do think I speak for everyone when I say we are here for you. We'll find him. You'll see."

…

The cool breeze that came from the window made Rilka smile. She spotted her son and Fenris on the barley field some distance away and her smile deepened. Leto was three and full of spunk and energy. She actually laughed when she saw Leto running off in the field and Fenris trying to catch him.

"I'm sorry, Mistress, but this arrived today," Orana said as she walked into the room holding out a missive in her hand. Rilka smiled at her warmly and thanked her.

"Will you be needing anything else, Mistress?" Orana smiled back.

"No, everything is fine, Orana. Thank you," Rilka replied as she opened the letter. She had hoped it would be from Faith, it had been over three months since she'd gotten a letter from her.

The missive was from Varric and short and to the point. Rilka's eyes widened slightly and she rushed through the house and out the back door to Fenris, who had finally caught up to Leto.

"Fenris!" She cried, gasping for breath from running all the way to the field. "This is from Varric! Anders has been captured!"

Fenris stopped tickling his son and his face darkened slightly. "What?"

Rilka handed him the missive and waited patiently for him to read while she bent down to smoothen her son's dark hair. Fenris lifted his face and stared at her.

"This is terrible news," Fenris murmured in his usual monotone.

"We have to help!" Rilka practically cried out. "My poor cousin…"

"Leave this, you mean?" Fenris queried, his eyes widening slightly. Rilka's look turned into an angry one, and Fenris took a step back, blinking.

"She needs us, Fenris!" She practically snarled.

"Calm down, love. I know she needs us, but we don't even know where she is, and she has the rest of the group there with her, and I'm sure King Alistair-"

"Don't you dare suggest staying here and doing nothing about it!" Rilka snapped, stomping her right foot angrily.

"No, love. Look, I didn't even mean it that way," Fenris shook his head, speaking in what he hoped was a soothing voice. "We don't know where they are right now. They could be anywhere!"

"Then we travel to Andoral's Reach!" Rilka shot back. "That's where they'll arrive eventually!"

"But what about Leto?" Fenris hurried to say, casting a quick glance on the boy who was now laughing and running in circles around his parents, chasing a butterfly.

"I'll ask Mistress Patross to come stay at the farm," Rilka replied, already turning to leave. "And Orana will take good care of him as well."

Fenris grabbed Leto's hand as he hurried behind his wife. It seemed that he would be back on the road killing templars again very soon.

…

"You idiot! Do you want to kill him?" Laurent yelled at the cowering templar. "We need him alive! How many times do I have to repeat myself to you stupid louts?"

Anders whimpered from the wooden cage, then lay silent. Laurent's eyes widened. "Open the cage!" He barked. "Untie him! Hurry!"

The two templars scrambled over themselves to do what their Lord Seeker was commanding. As soon as they cut the ropes around Anders's wrists, he turned over, breathing heavily. Laurent hurried to kneel before the mage, who was covered in sweat and dirt, his nose wrinkling in disgust. He had to make sure Anders would be alright. One of his hands went immediately to the mage's forehead to check for fever.

But before the hand reached its destination, Anders squeezed his eyes tight, and he hurled a chain lightning spell on the three of them. It wasn't as potent or deadly as it could have been because his mana had all but been drained, but it did knock Laurent and his men to the ground and gave Anders a few minutes to sit up dazedly and sprint to the nearest bush, half crawling. Laurent gave a cry as soon as he could catch his breath.

"Fools! After him, now!" His voice thundered.

But Anders slipped quietly away to the next bush, and then the next and the one after that. He thanked the Maker that it was a dark night, and continued on, until he could not hear the voices of the templars any longer. Once he knew he was out of earshot, he lay on his back, panting slightly, gathering his strength back with each breath he took. From the depths of the dark forest a cry reached him. It was the angry cry of Laurent and it was the only thing that he needed to hear. He smiled for the first time in six weeks as he imagined Laurent's furious, thundering face and that cry spurred him on. He continued to crawl on his hands and knees through the bushes and only stopped when he saw he was running out of trees and bushes to hide. The moon rose and he cursed softly under his breath. In the distance he saw a hill, and on top of it an ancient Tevinter tower fortress, which glittered softly under the moonlight.

He had arrived at Andoral's Reach.

…

"Those men were here, Miss," the innkeeper said to Faith. "The one in charge was creepy."

Faith felt a ray of hope that warmed her entire body. "How long ago did they pass through?" She asked in an urgent voice.

"'Bout three days, Miss," the innkeeper hurried to say. "They left in a hurry."

"Was there a blond mage with them?" Alistair asked.

"Mage? There was no mage with them," the innkeeper replied, while his wife scoffed from where she stood stirring a cooking pot over the flames.

"Ha! Any mage with _him_ would be dead by now!"

Faith paled. Isabela, Zevran, Varric and Alistair turned to glance at her quickly. Alistair cleared his throat and smiled brightly at the innkeeper and his wife while Isabela and Zevran hurried to either side of Faith and patted her back reassuringly. "We're on the right trail, Kitten. We'll get there, you'll see."

Faith could only nod in silence while Alistair paid the innkeeper for their rooms and quickly organized hot baths for them all.

…

Rhys considered talking to the Grand Enchanter, but after thinking about it, decided that it would not be a good idea. His dream still haunted him, however, and he walked down the tower towards the basement for some wine for dinner for Evangeline and himself. The thought of Evangeline made him smile as he walked down the basement stairs, but a noise from the depths of the basement reached his ears and he stopped in his tracks, frowning slightly and quickly focusing on a lightning bolt spell that would defend him from any would-be attacker.

His deep blue eyes scanned for any signs of a human being, but he could not find any. The minutes ticked by and he started to relax, blaming his over-active imagination. He reached the bottom of the stairs and turned right to head to where the wines were kept, but suddenly froze as the scuffling noise reached his ears again. He had no doubt now of what he was hearing and slowly started to approach the area where he thought the sounds were coming from.

After a while the noises stopped and a whimper reached his ears. He was gripping his staff in his right hand, as he inched closer, his eyes darting around to see what was making the noises. The basement was so dark, his progress was slow, and he would not cast a wisp to help him see in the dark until he was sure he was directly in front of whatever was making the noises so that he could quickly zap the thing with his lightning spell immediately afterwards.

He reached out with his senses and was surprised to feel magic in the air. His thoughts momentarily strayed to Cole but he shook his head. Cole was millions of miles away. Or was he? Rhys felt a surge of doubt as the magic he felt gradually got stronger. He paused and muttered the incantation and two wisps appeared, flickering in the darkness and casting a soft blue-white light around them. Rhys took two steps forward and stopped, blinking at a lump of something on the dusty, wooden floor. The long, roundish dark shape was not moving, but suddenly he heard the whimper again and realized it was coming from the thing on the floor.

Rhys stepped closer to it, kneeling down and saw that it was a man that was covered in dirt, grime and blood. He recognized feathered-pauldrons and realized that the magic was softly emanating from this man. He knew that this was a mage, but did not understand what he was doing in the basement. Was this another Cole he had inadvertently summoned?

The man whimpered again, panting slightly, but this time his eyes opened and widened when they saw Rhys. The man groaned, trying to sit up, but Rhys hurried to shake his head.

"Careful there, friend. You are hurt, and I doubt you will be able to sit up. I'll go for help, and we can talk later."

The man nodded but continued to struggle for a bit, breathing heavily. "Thank you," he finally croaked. "This is Andoral's – Andoral's Reach, is it not?"

Rhys's eyes widened slightly, and then narrowed warily. Was this a trap from the templars? He looked around, his eyes darting in the darkness and tried to feel for any templar around the area. A strange noise came from the man lying on the floor, and his eyes darted back to him again.

"How do you know this is Andoral's Reach?" Rhys said suspiciously, his blue eyes now burning into the other man's brown ones.

"Maybe - because I'm a mage and the templars nearly killed me?" The other man replied with great difficulty.

Rhys tried to relax. "I'm sorry. One can never be too careful in these times, friend. Who are you and why are you here? And why should I trust you even if you are a mage?"

"Because my name is Anders. I'm the mage that blew up the Chantry in Kirkwall. And up until very recently I was being held captive by the Lord Seeker who will probably attack very soon."

...


	82. A Fitting Welcome

_**Thank you darkkchylde, LadyDarksbane, koguma, MB18932, KnightOfHolyLight, Venilia, and xx Twilight Princess xx for your awesome reviews! I also want to thank all of you who have favorited this fic, and are now following it! Thanks also to LadyDarksbane for her awesome feedback and editing! **_

_**What I've been writing so far (this chapter included) has been mages vs. Templars, for I think that this is what Dragon Age 3 will be about. This coming war will be like the final war in my fic and will bring 'peace' to Thedas (to some extent, lol). **_

_**Our heroes' journey is nearly done, though…you all know good things must come to an end eventually! Just a few more chapters to go! **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I swear! :D **_

Chapter 82 – A Fitting Welcome

Grand Enchanter Fiona walked briskly into the room and stopped for a few moments. Her eyes caught sight of the blond mage lying on the bed. He wasn't unconscious, but she could see that he had been in great pain.

"Grand Enchanter," Rhys murmured, inclining his head slightly. Fiona sniffed, and walked up to Anders, and what looked like a smile softened her features momentarily. Anders made an effort to sit up and show some respect, but Fiona quickly shook her head.

"Anders, I presume?" She quizzed, her amber eyes twinkling.

"Last time I checked, yes," Anders replied, "though I _have_ seen better days."

Fiona let a giggle escape her lips and Rhys glanced at her with an astonished look on his face.

"Rhys tells me you were a prisoner?" Fiona asked dryly, composing herself.

"Yes, and I hated to leave. The Lord Seeker is the best captor one could ever hope for."

"Indeed," Fiona smiled.

"He plans to attack, last I heard. He _did_ plan to use me to gain entrance to the fortress, and imprison you and the rest of the mages here in exchange for my life. Unfortunate for him that I have had some 'training' in escaping dangerous places," Anders smiled back.

"Thank the Maker for that," Rhys muttered behind Fiona.

"We sent out two scouts to survey the surroundings. We cannot see him, so presume he must be hiding somewhere in the forest," Fiona said.

"He's a clever one," Anders nodded. "Whatever he comes up with, it will be both elaborate and successful."

"Not if we prepare ourselves well," Fiona frowned. "This is what we are doing right now. We shall see if the Lord Seeker and his Inquisition Templars can break our lines."

Evangeline stepped into the room. "Sorry to interrupt, Grand Enchanter, but a mage and an…elf are at the door. They say they are here to lend their support and inquired about a mage called Anders."

"Thank you, Evangeline," Fiona replied, but turned to Anders to gaze at him for a few moments. "I see you have friends."

"Five of them, yes, and a wife," Anders said, shrugging. "I seem to be popular, even this far from the city."

"Yes, you are, but there is little time for this kind of talk. Are you still injured or has Rhys taken care of your wounds?" Fiona asked.

"It turns out I didn't have to do much," Rhys commented. "Anders is an excellent healer himself."

"I'm just exhausted," Anders shrugged. "Nothing a good night's sleep would not fix."

"Which is something I'm not sure we'll get," Fiona murmured. Turning to Evangeline she asked her to bring the two visitors to the room.

"A wife? Did you know you may be the first mage in a long time to get married? How did you pull that off?" Rhys asked curiously.

"Let's just say I have some friends in Amaranthine," Anders grinned.

Rhys smiled back. He could not help it. Anders was certainly charming and his good humor was contagious.

"Is she a mage? Your wife, I mean?" Rhys asked.

"Honestly, Rhys. Sometimes I wonder if you _live_ in Thedas," Fiona scoffed. "He's married to the Champion of Kirkwall, of course."

"Ah, of course," Rhys smiled sheepishly.

There was a knock on the door and Anders half raised himself from the bed. There was a squeal of delight and he suddenly felt himself embraced by a very happy mage.

"I'm glad to see you too, Rilka," Anders laughed, his eyes on Fenris's brooding face beside her.

"I'm not," Fenris deadpanned.

…

The Lord Seeker did not attack Andoral's Reach. He had set up camp in the forest. One of his men had scouted the surrounding area and had returned with news of Faith and her group fast advancing towards the huge Tevinter fortress. The Lord Seeker smiled and turned to one of his officers.

"I have need of you, Ser. Opportunity has presented itself to us. We must not fail to take it," he gave the man a wolfish grin and the Templar shifted on his feet uncomfortably.

"You will pretend to be one of the Templars who wishes to join the mages, yes? Once you are in the fortress, you will stay there for a week and make yourself useful. You will gather all the information we need, especially of all the exits and underground rooms as well as their immediate plans. Before you leave, you will kill the abomination that escaped us, and his friends while they sleep, then capture the Grand Enchanter and bring her to me, do you understand?"

The man's eyes widened and he stood still for a few moments. Laurent's eyes narrowed briefly and he frowned. He approached the man and stood very close to him, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Am I to understand that your lack of response means you do not wish to help?" Laurent snarled.

"No, Lord Seeker, I-" But the Lord Seeker took his dagger out and plunged it into the templar's heart. Laurent's eyes glittered as he watched the dead templar slide to the floor. He then turned to his other officer, who looked a tad bit alarmed, but quickly composed himself.

"How about you, Ser Guilard? Are you faithful to the Maker's calling, or are you as heretic as your fallen companion?" the Lord Seeker inquired through clenched teeth.

"I live to serve the Maker and you, Lord Seeker," Guilard said immediately kneeling before Laurent. "I would be honored to do what you ask."

Laurent smiled. "Good. Come with me. I will escort you personally to make sure the abomination's friends find you."

The place where Faith and her friends had set up camp was quiet, a fire still cackling merrily in the center with the tents all around it. Alistair stood next to the fire with a couple of his men keeping first watch. The Lord Seeker nodded to the Templar beside him.

"There. You will crawl to the fire, and let them help you," he whispered.

"Crawl?" The Templar turned his head to glance at the Lord Seeker, his eyes wide open in confusion.

"A wounded man crawls," the Lord Seeker whispered back as he stabbed the officer. The Templar slid to the ground, clutching his stomach. "They will be convinced now."

…

Alistair turned sharply when he heard the noises coming from the bushes. Two of his men drew their swords, standing in front of him protectively, but Alistair stepped to the side in order to see what he thought was something approaching the camp. He drew his sword, and adopted a defensive stance, waiting tensely for the worse to happen.

A man crawled out of the bushes, moaning as if in great pain. Alistair's grip tightened around the hilt of his sword. As the man drew nearer, Alistair caught sight of Templar armor and he frowned.

"Please," the man panted, gasping for breath. "Help me…"

The two men approached the figure slowly, their swords pointing directly at the wounded Templar. The man gave a gasp and did not move. The two guards knelt before him inspecting him closely. Alistair stayed behind patiently, waiting for the guards' report.

"Your Majesty, this man is unconscious. He has been severely wounded. He needs a healer," one of the guards barked back at Alistair, bowing in respect once he was done.

Alistair frowned. "Go get our mage, and ask him to come as quickly as possible."

The guard nodded and moved towards the soldiers' tents, which were set up a bit farther from the main camp. He returned in few minutes with the court mage, who knelt before the man and tried to close his wound. The fallen Templar had lost a great deal of blood, so the mage informed Alistair that he would have to be kept inside one of the wagons for the remainder of their journey. Alistair nodded and turned to the man, his eyes focused on the pale face.

"Now where did you come from, I wonder?" He muttered to himself as the guards carried him away.

…

Faith insisted on speaking to the Templar when Alistair informed her what had happened the following morning. He nodded and they made their way to the wagon where the Templar lay, wide awake and looking worse for wear.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Faith asked in a shrill voice without waiting for Alistair to speak out.

"My name is Francois Guilard. I was following the Lord Seeker, but did not agree to what he did to the innocent people of the last town we visited. We had a heated discussion in the forest and he stabbed me and left me for dead, and so I have escaped. He does not know that I live," replied the Templar, breathing somewhat heavily.

Alistair frowned, but did not speak. Faith scowled and hissed out her next question. "Was there a mage with the Lord Seeker?"

"Yes, but he escaped. The Lord Seeker was very angry," the Templar replied. "And angrier still that we could not find him."

Faith smiled at this and for the first time in over a month she felt a surge of hope. Alistair clenched his jaw. Something told him that this man was not being entirely truthful.

"When did the mage escape?" Alistair asked quietly.

"Three nights ago," the Templar replied somewhat haughtily. "I do not see how this is important and I am weak."

One of the guards with Alistair approached the man and drew his sword. "You, Ser, are speaking to the King of Ferelden! I advise you to change your tone!" The guard snarled.

"I – I did not know this, I am sorry," The Templar responded contritely.

"What do we do with him?" Faith turned to Alistair.

"We take him along," Alistair said. "I can have some men look after him and watch him at all times."

"I assure you, Messere that I do not intend to cross you. I am glad I have escaped the Lord Seeker. He is a madman. I intend to help however I can, once I am fully recuperated," Guilard said stiffly.

"We shall see," Alistair shot back, his warm amber eyes unusually cold.

…

It was Faith who talked to one of the mages posted at the gates to Andoral's Reach. After a wait of nearly two hours, they were told they could enter.

The fortress and the land it stood on was huge. Indeed, the old Tevinter fortress had been built a long time ago on an imposing hill; the land around it had massive stone gates to protect it from any would-be attackers as well as the inclement weather the area was notorious for. The group huddled close together as they followed one of the mages up the hill and sighed with relief when they arrived at the huge oak doors of Andoral's Reach. Once inside, they were told to wait again, but did not mind. It was warm as there was a huge fire pit built in the center of the main hall, and they relaxed and began to chat to each other as they waited.

Alistair's guards and soldiers had followed another mage to the barracks, and only two of his personal guards remained with him, so he actually smiled as he chatted with Varric, his warm, amber eyes occasionally gazing around the place.

A small elven woman was coming down the steps of a huge staircase at the back of the room and she stopped when she reached the group, her amber eyes roaming around the people in the room. Her eyes focused on Alistair, and they widened slightly, but she turned to Faith to speak, as she was the closest to her. Another tall, dark-haired human mage joined her. He had deep blue eyes that were inspecting each one in turn.

"Good afternoon, I am the Grand Enchanter and I welcome you to Andoral's Reach. This is Rhys, my Second-in-Command," Fiona said graciously.

"Good afternoon, First Enchanter," Faith said graciously, inclining her head in respect, then fixed her eyes on the Grand Enchanter. "My name is Faith Hawke, or rather Faith Bachmeier. I hardly use my married name, I'm sorry to say."

"I'm sure that does not bother your husband, Anders. Your husband is Anders, am I right?" Fiona replied in a dry voice.

"He is. Oh, I'm sorry, these are my travelling companions and friends, this is Alistair, the King of Ferelden," Faith said, a smile on her face.

The Grand Enchanter gave a curtsey, then looked up haughtily. Cold amber eyes looked into warm ones. Alistair inclined his head and smiled. Fiona blinked back and hurriedly turned to Faith again.

"And the rest of your companions?" She asked quickly.

Faith hurried to introduce Isabela, Zevran and Varric. Fiona welcomed each in turn and turned to Faith again.

"Your husband is here. He will be overjoyed to see you again," Fiona said, a ghost of a smile on her lips. "Come."

Faith nearly danced with joy at this and allowed herself to be led up the stairs, with the rest following close behind.

"I knew King Maric of Ferelden," Fiona said, nodding to Alistair who was walking beside Faith. "He was a friend of a good friend of mine."

Alistair's eyes widened, but he did not reply. He nodded once and pursed his lips. Fiona did not say anything else, and led them to a set of double doors. "This is the library. Anders is inside. Rhys, please show them to their rooms. I must go and visit our barracks."

"Certainly, Grand Enchanter," Rhys inclined his head.

At that moment, Faith opened the doors and spied Anders sitting at one of the tables. A scream of delight escaped her lips and Anders dropped the book that he was reading and scrambled to his feet. She ran to his open arms and he embraced her tenderly, breathing in her scent, his heart hammering loudly in his chest.

"My love," was all he could say, "I thought I would never see you again!"

"Reunited at last," Varric whispered to no one in particular, a grin on his face.

…

"I've spoken to this Templar," Fiona said, speaking to Anders, Faith, and the rest of the group a few hours later. "He does not seem to be dangerous and seems eager to please."

"That is not the impression he gave me," Alistair hurried to say, shaking his head.

"Oh?" Fiona said, turning to face Alistair. "I am most interested in what you have to say, King Alistair of Ferelden."

"Just call me Alistair, if you may," Alistair blushed slightly and cleared his throat, his eyes fixed on Fiona's. "I think he's hiding something."

"And you base this on evidence?" Fiona asked. "Has he given you reason to doubt him?"

"Not exactly. I just don't feel that he is being entirely truthful," Alistair replied, shifting uncomfortably on his feet. "He _is_ a Templar, and he _was_ with the Lord Seeker."

"I do not know why you brought him here," Fiona said. "But we _do_ have Templars here who are assisting us in our Plight. They will fight by our side."

"We will as well," Alistair replied. "I have brought an army with me. Not a big one, but I think they will make a difference."

"I thank you," Fiona smiled genuinely this time and Alistair blinked back as he looked into her twinkling amber eyes. There was a certain familiarity about her that he could not place. Alistair turned and focused on Anders who was talking, thinking that it was a little bit rude to interrupt just to ask the Grand Enchanter if he knew her from somewhere.

"The Lord Seeker is a cunning man. I wouldn't put it past him to send one of his men to spy on us," Anders said in a matter-of-fact voice, his arm around Faith's waist.

"Then we'll just have to keep a close watch on him," Faith said in a clear voice.

"I already have two men who keep close to him all the time," Alistair commented.

"That's good," Anders smiled at his friend. "At least he won't catch us by surprise. I trust all the mages here know what is going on?" Anders turned to Fiona.

"We have been preparing for months for this," the Grand Enchanter smiled. "If and when the Lord Seeker attacks, we will be sure to give him a fitting welcome.

…


	83. Revelations

_**First of all I want to thank my lovely betas LadyDarksbane and moosesaregreat for their invaluable help with this chapter! I also want to thank all who reviewed: LadyDarksbane, darkkchylde, koguma, Venilia, KnightOfHolyLight, xx Twilight Princess xx, and MB18932, as well as those who have put this fic in their favorites and are now following it! You guys are AWESOME! :D **_

_**Bioware owns everything, I swear! :D **_

Chapter 83 – Revelations

Leliana woke up and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. Another long and agonizing day awaited her. She did not mind sitting in front of her desk transcribing the symbols she had copied when they had visited the old ruins where the ashes were kept. Truth be told, that was the part of the day she loved the most.

She also looked forward to the meetings with the Divine, where she helped out as much as she could. The Divine always had a smile on her face and kind words for her. She really liked the moments she spent with her. She didn't even mind keeping watch when it was her turn, guarding the Divine's door late at night while the rest slept. No, she didn't mind at all. Even though the halls in the castle were cold and damp, she gladly took her post every night. It wasn't the Divine that made her fret and agonize every day as soon as she was awake.

It was Fergus. She saw him during breakfast, lunch and dinner. She also saw him when he spoke to the Divine, which was once a week. During the time he was with them he gave no indication whatsoever of Leliana's presence in the room, and that hurt her. There were times when she had wanted to run out, to go back to Denerim, but she stood her ground. She had said she was sorry, and she meant it. Now it was up to him.

There were times when she had to use the library, and on those days, it would take her longer to get up and get ready for the day. Fergus frequented the library a lot, and spent his free time reading there. Leliana had to actually open the door quietly and poke her head in cautiously to look around and see if she could spot Fergus in the room. If he was there, she would close the door and leave to return later during the day. And today was one of those days. She had been transcribing the symbols but needed a book that she knew was in the library. She shut her eyes and shook her head, then sat up in bed and walked to the bathroom where she washed herself, a grim expression on her face. Then she set out directly towards the library, deciding to skip breakfast altogether. This would give her the advantage of slipping into the library, getting the book and leaving the room without seeing him.

She was lost in thought when she entered and quickly closed the door behind her. She kept her eyes on the wooden floor, until she reached the wooden bookcases that held the hundreds of books in the room, passing large wooden carved tables and chairs along the way. The room was huge, completely filled with bookcases and books. The Couslands had always kept it well stocked and had a great many books that did not even exist in the palace of Denerim. She smiled as her eyes scanned the bookcase where she knew the book was, and her smile deepened when she saw the book on the top shelf. Standing on her toes, she stretched up to reach it, but a figure suddenly brushed pass her and caused her to lose her balance so she stumbled backwards, cursing as she did. The person whirled around and caught her in his arms before she had a chance to fall against the bookshelf.

"I'm sorry, I didn't see you there," Fergus said warmly, his arms around her.

Leliana blushed and her blue eyes widened in surprise as she looked up into his warm, brown eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded.

Fergus grinned, which caused her to be taken aback. Her lips parted in awe as she continued to look up into his eyes as if mesmerized, unable to utter a single word.

"I live here," was Fergus's witty answer.

Leliana lowered her eyes, and he let go of her quickly.

"No, I mean…I thought you would be having breakfast," Leliana said to the wooden floor.

"I got up earlier this morning. There was something I wanted to read, so I headed over here," Fergus shrugged. "I've seen you here before, but I never wanted to disturb you. You seemed very intent in what you were doing."

Leliana stole a glance at his face and saw the kind expression in his eyes and she felt her heart wrench inside her. She swallowed thickly, groping for the right words to say, but found out that she once again drew a blank and was speechless. She continued to look into his warm, brown eyes, and when exactly had he moved so close to her? More importantly, why in blazes was he looking at her this way? Damn this man! He was so close that she could feel his breath on her face. Then she stopped thinking altogether as he leaned forward and captured her lips in his.

It was a chaste kiss, but one that held promise.

"What would you say if I told you I want us to get together again and try to make things work between us?" Fergus asked.

Leliana smiled up at him. "I'd say 'yes'."

…

Alistair spent the days that followed walking with Rhys or with Evangeline as they planned strategies for the upcoming battle. He visited the barracks regularly and spoke to his men as well. When he could, he also studied maps of the surrounding area. He knew the fortress was built on a natural hill which was a clear advantage for them.

The only thing that Alistair did not like during his stay was the fact that the Grand Enchanter seemed to follow him everywhere. She was always nice to him, but it was a bit unnerving that she happened to be around him at all times. If it had been unintentional, Alistair would have left well enough alone and brushed it off, but she would always be around, staring at him, wearing a grim expression on her face.

After a few days of this, he asked Rhys about her.

"The Grand Enchanter?" Rhys replied. "Nobody knows much about her, but the rumors are that she used to be a Grey Warden. Why?"

"I don't know…she's around us a lot, and I just felt…curious," Alistair managed to respond while he thought about what Rhys had said.

Two days later, he bumped into her in one of the hallways and he smiled. Fiona smiled mechanically back at him.

"Rhys told me you were a Grey Warden. Is this how you met my father?" Alistair blurted out.

The Grand Enchanter's smile froze, and her eyes grew serious. She quickly recovered and gave Alistair a brilliant smile, but he knew his question had upset her.

"Yes. We visited Ferelden because the Warden Commander wanted to find her brother. King Maric had travelled through the Deep Roads and was the only one that knew the way."

"I see," Alistair replied quietly.

"Your father was a good man. You remind me of him," Fiona said quietly.

"My lady, you know nothing of me," Alistair replied dryly.

"I know that you have brought one hundred soldiers and are prepared to fight and defend us. Isn't that enough?"

Fiona smiled and inclined her head briefly, then turned to go, but stopped and turned back to look at Alistair for a few seconds.

"We can talk after the battle if you wish, King Alistair of Ferelden," she said in a soft voice. Then she left.

Alistair shook his head, his brow furrowed in thought. Then he also turned and left, straight to the library where he knew the rest were.

But along the way he could not shake Fiona's words from his head. Who was this woman and why did he feel that there was a bond between them? Alistair pressed his fingers to his temples and groaned. Fortunately for him, Anders was in the library and would get rid of the damn headache that he now had.

…

The templar walked up to Laurent, uneasy about what he was going to say. He knelt before the Lord Seeker, then stood when asked to do so.

"What is the purpose of your visit, Ser? I have things to do and you are interrupting me," Laurent said, looking down at the map he had placed on a flat boulder next to his tent.

"I'm sorry, Lord Seeker, but…" the templar began, a nervous quaver in his voice.

"But?" The Lord Seeker said, shutting his eyes briefly. He could not stand his soldiers. They were stupid and did not understand the importance of the mission. "Well? I'm waiting, and I do not like waiting."

"The rest of us, well…not all of us…" the templar continued, pausing every so often to try to control his nerves. "…we were thinking about our orders. We have no orders, Lord Seeker. Are we going to attack the fortress any time soon?"

The Lord Seeker stopped staring at the map before him and looked at the templar instead, his eyes flashing with anger momentarily. The templar took a step back, trembling slightly with fear.

"Are you questioning my decision to stay here in the forest?" the Lord Seeker hissed through clenched teeth.

The templar paled, and he shook his head quickly, taking another step back at the same time.

The Lord Seeker glanced behind him and he saw most of his men gathered around the fire, watching the scene unfolding before them.

"If we are here, it is because the Maker wills it!" He yelled at the templars. "We are waiting for His sign to proceed. Until then, if there are any of you who wish to leave, then do so now, before I lose my temper!"

The men lowered their gazes immediately, not daring to look at the Lord Seeker. The silence around them was only interrupted by the cackling fire.

"The Maker acts through me! Those of you who do not believe will die, is this clear?" the Lord Seeker practically sneered. The templar who had come up to him now stood some distance away and flinched at these words as if he had been struck.

"I said, 'do I make myself clear?'" The Lord Seeker bellowed.

"Yes, Lord Seeker," came the mumble from the men.

"Good. Be ready. The time is near. I sent out your brother nearly a week ago. When he returns, we shall know which course to take." The Lord Seeker turned back to his map and the men went back to their various tasks.

None of them saw Lord Seeker Laurent smile as he studied the map.

…

Rhys and Anders became friends as the days went by. On Rhys's part it did not take much effort to warm up to Anders, even though he knew that he had killed innocent people in Kirkwall in the past. He still did not trust Anders completely, but he talked a lot to him about preparations for the battle and spells.

Faith was with Anders during these chats. Ever since they had finally gotten back together, she would not leave his side, and Anders seemed to be a lot happier than he had been when Rhys had met him. He could clearly see that they loved each other very much.

On the fifth day after they arrived at Andoral's Reach, two things happened that Rhys did not expect. Adrian, who had been away recruiting more mages returned to the fortress, and Anders told him more about himself.

The day Adrian returned was pretty much a normal day, except for the fact that Rhys was in the library listening to Anders's tale about the destruction of the Kirkwall Chantry.

"So you had this so-called spirit of Justice inside you?" Rhys asked.

"I don't think if it was just me that I would have blown up the Chantry - if that's what you're really asking," Anders smiled.

Rhys nodded, his brow furrowed in thought.

"I hope you aren't going to tell me what a fool I was in letting Justice in," Anders continued, shaking his head. "I honestly didn't know he would turn into that creature of Vengeance. I guess it was because I never got my anger under control…"

"You couldn't have known how that would go anyway," Rhys murmured back.

"I don't think mages run around asking spirits to possess them at any rate," Anders shot back, a ghost of a smile on his face.

"You tried to help Justice," Faith said firmly, as she sat right beside Anders. "I don't think you would have done it if you had known."

"I'm a healer, not a murderer," Anders replied, his arm around her shoulders. "It goes against my nature." He shrugged and turned to look at Rhys, who sat there, lost in thought. When some time had passed and Rhys still did not look up or speak, Anders sighed.

"Well, I guess we'll be heading towards the dining area. It must be hunger that has you speechless."

Rhys chuckled. "No, it's not that at all, though now that you mention it –"his stomach then growled angrily and the three of them burst out laughing.

When the laughter subsided, Rhys spoke again, causing Anders to do a double take at what he said.

"My mother was a mage. The spirit of Faith saved her life in the Circle Tower in Ferelden. You see, she was battling a powerful demon when the circle nearly fell to demons and abominations. She killed the demon and died doing so, but the spirit of Faith possessed her so she could continue to live. It saved her life. She was a great healer, and even helped the Hero of Ferelden during the Blight."

Anders's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "What was your mother's name?" He asked quickly.

"Wynne," Rhys replied.

"Your mother taught me how to heal!" Anders exclaimed. "I gave her a real hard time, for I was a rebel. Fortunately for her, I escaped the tower many times, so she did not have to put up with me for long!"

Rhys burst out laughing and both Anders and Faith laughed too. At that moment the door was flung open and a freckled mage, with bright red hair stepped into the room. As soon as she saw Rhys, she sped to where he was seated, throwing her arms around him in a tight hug.

"Miss me?" Adrian laughed as soon as she caught her breath.

"No," Rhys replied.

Adrian straightened up and laughed again, and then her eyes fell on Anders and Faith, who was looking up at her curiously. The redhead frowned and clenched her jaw. Then she spat out a question - clearly directed at Faith and Anders.

"Who in the blazes _is_ this?"

…


	84. Battle

_**My deepest thanks to darkkchylde, xx Twilight Princess xx, koguma, KnightOfHolyLight, and MB 18932 for their awesome reviews and to moosesaregreat for her wonderful editing skills! I also want to thank those of you who are putting this story on their lists of favorites and following it! :D **_

_**Bioware owns! **_

Chapter 84 – Battle

Faith frowned up at the redhead, tensing considerably and Anders squeezed her hand. He smiled at Adrian automatically, even though he didn't feel like smiling at all.

"Hello," he began in what he hoped was a charming voice, but stopped when he noticed that he had made a grave mistake. He saw the redhead bristling and clenching her jaw, her eyes flashing angrily. Rhys hurried to interrupt, standing and placing himself conveniently between the redhead and Anders.

"Adrian, before you do anything foolish," an angry snort was heard from Adrian, but Rhys carried on, the words tumbling out cheerfully as if nothing was amiss. "I'd like you to meet Anders and Faith Hawke – Champion of Kirkwall."

Adrian's jaw dropped slightly and her brow furrowed as she peered down at the couple who were still gazing up at her. Rhys's words sank into her brain and suddenly she understood completely what he had just said. Trembling slightly, she took two steps around Rhys and stood directly in front of them both. Her eyes were on Anders, who was blinking up at her innocently, the smile now frozen on his face.

"Then," Adrian whispered, "You must be…Anders!" Her tone had a note of admiration in it which made Faith stiffen, but Anders did not see. He dared not even blink, for the thought that this redheaded mage was dangerous had suddenly invaded his brain, making it difficult for him to think or notice anything else.

"One and the same," Anders smiled, resisting the urge to fling a winter's grasp spell at Adrian.

"Oh! Oh, I…I cannot tell you how much I admire you!" Adrian breathed out. The look she was giving him was openly coquettish. The green-eyed monster reared its ugly head and Faith swore under her breath.

Anders squeezed her hand again, still smiling stupidly up at Adrian. He hoped Faith would keep quiet, but he knew she would not.

"Who the heck are _you_?" Faith demanded. Anders sighed. _That didn't take too long._

The redhead swept a defiant look over Faith, but Faith was not daunted. Her cheeks were a dark burgundy color as she slowly stood up. Adrian's whole demeanor changed and her nonchalant gaze swept over Faith before turning back to Anders and giving him a bright smile.

"My name is Adrian and I've long admired you, Anders, for what you did in Kirkwall," Adrian purred seductively.

A strangled sound came from Faith while beads of perspiration formed on Anders's forehead. At that moment the door opened and Alistair walked into the room.

Adrian turned to the newcomer and her brow furrowed. Alistair stopped, wondering who this woman was and why she was looking at him so angrily. His gaze rapidly took in the scene before him and he blinked at Adrian, confusion written all over his face.

"Oh," Rhys hurried to say. "Before you even _think_ about flinging a spell at the man who just entered the room, let me tell you that _that _is the King of Ferelden."

Adrian blinked, but did not say a word. Rhys shook his head.

"Sorry about that, Your Majesty, but my friend here doesn't trust anyone. Especially in these times."

Alistair glanced at Rhys and then turned back to Adrian who now was staring at Anders again. He didn't expect a royal welcome from that woman, who was looking at Anders with something that Alistair could clearly identify as adoration. Alistair's gaze traveled to Faith and warning bells rang in his head. Faith was seething, and Alistair half expected to see foam on the corners of her lips any minute now.

"We should all sit down and have a nice chat," Rhys continued to talk, his cheerful voice bouncing off the walls. "Give everyone a chance to get acquainted."

Faith now turned her angry gaze at Rhys, who blinked, suddenly wishing he hadn't said anything at all.

"Well, we certainly have a lot to discuss, I'm sure," Adrian said dryly. "But I only just arrived and am dying to take a bath and change, if it's alright with the _King_ of Ferelden."

Alistair nodded vigorously, not trusting his voice for the moment. And he thought that Morrigan was bad…

Adrian turned and walked haughtily out of the room, without giving anyone another glance. As soon as she left, the whole room visibly relaxed and Anders let out a sigh of relief. Faith turned to him and jabbed his side with her elbow.

"Ow! What did you go and do that for?" Anders complained, rubbing his side.

"I'm just lovingly letting you know that I'm right here, my love," Faith said sweetly.

"Um…not to interrupt or anything, but I wanted to discuss some battle plans with you," Alistair remarked, walking over to where they were sitting. Rhys sat back down with a sigh and nodded.

"Might as well get it over with, then."

"Did you know that Rhys is Wynne's son?" Anders remarked, looking straight at Alistair.

Alistair's eyes widened slightly, as he turned to inspect the dark-haired mage, who fidgeted uncomfortably for a few moments.

"Really? Your mother traveled with us during the Blight. She was a remarkable woman," Alistair smiled, his eyes fixed on Rhys. He could definitely see the resemblance to Wynne and he smiled. Then, remembering what had brought him to the room in the first place, Alistair quickly took out some papers that were in his pocket and smoothed them out on the table beside him. "I can't tell you much about your mother right now, unfortunately. I need to discuss the battle plans with you and make sure you all understand what we have to do."

They all nodded back at Alistair, who quickly explained the charts and maps that were in his hands.

"I think that covers just about everything. I've already met with Isabela, Varric and Zevran - they are now organizing things outside," Alistair smiled. "Rilka and Fenris are in the barracks with my soldiers and organizing things there."

"Why are you telling us this now?" Faith asked. "Has something happened?"

Alistair nodded, a worried expression on his face. "One of our scouts noticed soldiers dressed in templar uniform to the north, all taking positions behind trees. I think that they are planning to attack fairly soon. It doesn't hurt to be prepared."

…

The man flattened himself against the walls, grateful that it was a moonless night. He had so far succeeded in getting to where the abomination's quarters were. If he could make it to the door and slip inside, he would finally be close to his target. He knew exactly where the room was and his eyes peered down the badly lit corridor until he spied the door at the very end. He stepped quietly closer and held his breath as he tested the knob. He was not surprised to find the door locked, and he produced a duplicate key from his pocket. It had been easy to get a copy of the key to the room. The Grand Enchanter had copies of all the keys to every single door in the Fortress, and she was out meeting with mages and soldiers during the day, leaving her chambers unguarded. A quick trip to her study and back had secured him with the trophy that he now held in his hand.

Guilard slid the key into the keyhole and unlocked the door quietly, stepping into the room and quickly closing the door behind him. As his eyes became accustomed to the darkness, he walked around a settee, and quietly approached the huge bed at the far end in the adjoining room. The sounds coming from the bed informed him that both occupants were fast asleep and he smiled.

As he approached the bed, he looked down at the sleeping figures. He would have to kill the abomination first. Anders lay on his side with his back to the man, his arms wrapped around Hawke. He was spooning her protectively and the man smiled again. A floorboard creaked under his right foot as he took a step closer, and Anders's eyes flew open. The templar did not see this, but he froze, hoping against hope that he had not been heard. The minutes ticked slowly by and the man broke into a sweat as he waited and watched, standing perfectly still. Anders did not move, but waited for the next noise patiently, willing himself to continue breathing steadily. After some time, he heard the man give a sigh of relief and Anders quickly turned around and flung a winter's grasp spell at Guilard before he had a chance to even react. Faith woke up and sat up in bed quickly, staring up at the frozen man hovering over them.

"What –" Faith said, her eyes blinking in disbelief.

"Andraste's knickerweasels!" Anders exclaimed. "I don't want to kill him!"

"Well then, that's where I come in, dear husband," Faith commented as she reached for her dagger on the night table beside her. She sprang up out of the bed and quickly jumped behind the man, her dagger at the ready.

"Wait! Don't you want to interrogate him?" Anders cried out.

"What for?" Faith snarled. "I can clearly see he wanted to kill us both!" She swiped her dagger across the man's throat and watched him slump to the ground, once Anders's spell had worn off.

"I don't think that was wise. How are we ever going to find out –" Anders began, but Faith turned to smile at him.

"Look what I found," she said, her smile turning into a grin as she held up a small, leather-bound book. "I believe this was his journal."

Anders merely smiled back at his wife, his smile turning into a lopsided grin when Faith chuckled and sat down on the bed beside him. She opened the book excitedly, her eyes twinkling madly. Anders had never felt so attracted to her.

"You know, it may be the fact that we have just escaped death again, but all I want to do right now is kiss you senseless," Anders declared, moving closer to Faith and taking the book from her hands. He threw the book across the room, and took his wife in his arms, while Faith's eyes sparkled, her pupils quickly dilating. "Well, that isn't all I want to do…"

His lips descended on hers, and he kissed her hungrily, Faith squirming with delight until she was on his lap.

"Mmmm…I think…" Faith murmured in between kisses, "that we should get attacked more often…"

…

Lambert frowned, his eyes scanning the Tevinter Fortress in the distance. The bright sunlight bounced off the ramparts and even though he was in the woods and some distance away, he could clearly see movement there. He knew very well that the mages were preparing themselves for the battle and his eyes followed the small figures as they darted around here and there, like ants scurrying around their anthill.

"Lord Seeker, we await your orders," one of his men called out, standing straight in attention.

"I will speak to the men. Round them up, Lieutenant," barked Lambert.

"Yes, Sire," came the templar's quick reply.

When they had all gathered together, Lambert pursed his lips, the furrow on his brow deepening.

"Clearly, our brother has been discovered or he would have been here by now," Lambert said through clenched teeth. "The mages are preparing, and we know that the abomination is there. The foolish King of Ferelden is also there. We saw his soldiers. This gives them an advantage." Lambert paused and walked closer to his templars, his frown deepening for a few moments. "We will have to attack when they least expect it. They have people stationed at the lookout towers, but we will surprise them. They do not expect an attack during the night."

The templars looked straight ahead, standing very still and no one dared move. Lambert hated to be interrupted as they knew full well.

"Tomorrow night we will approach the Fortress by the west side, which is the closest to the forest. When they realize what is happening, we will have stunned the two mages in the tower, and it will be too late for them to sound the alarm. Prepare yourselves and may the Maker watch over you all."

…

When Lambert failed to attack the next day, Fiona called them all for a meeting.

"He clearly has something planned," Fiona announced, her brow furrowed in thought. "We must be prepared."

"I would attack during the night, if I were the Lord Seeker. The only ones awake are the sentinels in the towers, so I'm guessing he's waiting for night fall to surprise us," Alistair said quietly in a matter-of-fact voice.

"That makes sense," Fenris deadpanned. Rilka nodded in agreement and the rest waited for Fiona to continue speaking, though Isabela and Zevran glanced at each other quickly before turning their attention again to the Grand Enchanter. Varric, who had been polishing Bianca, smiled and patted the crossbow affectionately.

"We will all make ready for tonight," Fiona said, her eyes flashing momentarily with anger. "I will _not_ let this madman kill even one of my mages."

"We will protect them," Anders hurriedly said and Faith smiled at his side. "There are six towers, aren't there?"

"I actually think that we shouldn't all be separated," Alistair said, shaking his head. "We have to wait for them to come in, and surprise them in the main courtyard. If I have my men lying in wait there with the main body of all the mages here, then we have a chance of success. I suggest no mages or sentinels in the towers. Let them come. The only way inside is through the courtyard. We will be ready for them there."

Fiona smiled at Alistair brightly and both Evangeline and Rhys blinked back in surprise, while Adrian looked around at everyone before turning back to stare at Anders, only this time she batted her eyelashes and blew him a kiss. Faith stepped forward and grabbed Anders's arm possessively.

"We have to work together as a team," Anders spoke up, deliberately choosing not to look at Adrian and Faith both. "If we don't, then we will fail."

Adrian looked away and Faith smiled up at Anders, her eyes shining. He squeezed her hand and winked at her.

"I agree," Alistair said. "I also think we should get some rest now. We will need to be ready and refreshed tonight."

"Very well," Fiona nodded. "We shall eat and then retire to our rooms and meet in the courtyard before dusk to prepare."

…

The Lord Seeker urged his men forward. Quietly they advanced, mere shadows in the dark night, until they arrived at one of the towers that surrounded the hill. Two templars walked into the tower and Lambert smiled, waiting for the flash of the holy smite, but it never came. The two templars came out of the tower, confusion on their faces as they took off their helms to speak to the Lord Seeker.

"What? Nobody inside the tower?" Lambert hissed, his eyes narrowing dangerously. This could only mean that the mages somehow knew.

"What are our orders, Lord Seeker?" One of the templars quickly asked.

Lambert shook his head, scowling as he thought about this predicament. He looked up the hill to the tall, dark fortress, which was still and quiet in the darkness. Shaking his head again, he ordered his men to start climbing the hill. He would not turn back now, for if he did it would be like admitting his defeat to the mages.

They slowly climbed up the hill, and soon found themselves staring at the thick double doors that led to the vast courtyard of the fortress. Lambert saw with a shock that the doors were wide open. Nothing was moving in the dark courtyard ahead. He shook his head, still not believing what he was seeing.

Then he heard it, a faint sound of someone snickering. Lambert's face screwed up with rage and he yelled at his men to attack.

At that precise moment, a fireball came straight at the men huddled in the front lines and hit them with such a force that they were flung back. The Lord Seeker gave an angry cry as he urged his men forward, cursing as he made his way into the courtyard.

Alistair's men were already engaged fighting Lambert's templars, which didn't leave much of them free to smite the mages. Torches lit up the courtyard and the Lord Seeker suddenly saw that the mages had built ramparts and had neatly organized their mages into groups. The King of Ferelden's men filled the courtyard and the Lord Seeker had to cut through two of them to reach one of the ramparts.

Anders saw him coming before Lambert saw him, and he rushed forward, staff in his right hand, while he readied his chain lightning spell. The Lord Seeker spotted him as soon as he reached the top of the stairs, and a wolfish grin spread across his face as he rushed forward.

Faith was busy fighting alongside Alistair, Isabela and Zevran, but her eyes spotted movement, and she turned in time to see the Lord Seeker fling a smite at Anders and watch horrified as Anders was flung against the wall and lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. She screamed and rushed to where her husband lay, knowing it would be too late by the time she arrived, but continued to run nevertheless, her heart hammering loudly in her chest.

Varric, who was further away, saw everything and readied a bolt, aimed directly at the Lord Seeker, but Faith was now blocking his view of the man and he could not shoot without striking Faith. He cursed under his breath.

The Lord Seeker towered over Anders, who lay wheezing on the floor trying to catch his breath, a cruel smile playing on the corners of his lips.

"Finally," Lord Seeker Lambert said. "Finally, I can kill the abomination. The Maker will reward me in this world and the next."

Anders said nothing, but looked up at the sword that pointed directly at his chest, then in one quick movement, when the Lord Seeker was inches away he drew a dagger and sliced his throat neatly.

"Did I ever tell you that I trained to be a rogue?" Anders asked cheerfully.

The Lord Seeker's eyes widened in surprise and he stared into those warm, brown eyes before he collapsed on the floor and as he fell, the sword he was holding buried itself into Anders's shoulder. Faith finally reached Anders, relief written all over her face.

"Have I ever told you how lovely you look when you fight?" Anders murmured.

Then he fainted.

…


	85. Andoral's Reach

_**Well…this is it! The end *cries* Hope you like it! I must say I put my heart into this fic, and it's like I'm seeing my child off to college or another country or something! Very sad! **_

_**I want to especially thank all my wonderful reviewers, who have followed the story since its beginnings, and to all my lurkers who follow it as well. All of you are amazing, and I couldn't have done it without you because every time I read a review or saw that someone put this fic in their lists of favorites, it made me want to write more and more! Thank you so much for all your continued support! **_

_**My friend moosesaregreat and I are going to write/writing a fic (yep! Co-writers!) with our favorite rebel mage, Anders, in it! However, this fic will be a crossover DA/Skyrim-Elder Scrolls fic. It's pretty interesting and we have most of the outline done, and we would be really thrilled if you could follow it! :D **_

_**The title of the fic is "Whispers in the Dark". I'll be posting it, so be sure to check 'Follow author' if you haven't already, because as soon as it is posted, you'll get an automatic email letting you know! We would love to know what you think as all your feedback is always appreciated! Be sure to check on moosesaregreat's profile too, she is also currently writing a fic that takes place in Skyrim that is AWESOME! :D**_

_**Of course I also want to thank the people who reviewed Chapter 84: xx Twilight Princess xx, MB18932, koguma, KnightOfHolyLight, and darkkchylde. You guys totally rock! :D **_

Chapter 85 – Andoral's Reach

When Anders came to, the battle had already been won. The Lord Seeker's forces had not been too difficult to overcome with the strategy that Alistair had come up with. The mages were eternally grateful to the Ferelden King for his help. Nevertheless, they knew that it was not the end, and that the templar-mage war would probably continue for a few years at the very least. Grand Enchanter Fiona spent some time contacting other mages that were fighting battles as well and made it a point to help out the best she could.

On the third day after the battle, Fiona was frowning at some papers she had on the desk when a knock at the door interrupted her. She sighed and stood up, walking towards the door and flung it open. Alistair stood there, smiling and she smiled back.

"What can I do for you, King Alistair of Ferelden?"

Alistair shook his head. "You'll never call me Alistair, will you? In spite of all we've been through…" he sighed and pouted a little and Fiona chuckled as she gestured him in.

"It is a fine name. I am sure your father came up with it himself," Fiona said quietly, sitting at her desk once again.

"You knew him well, I take it?" The question was one without malice, but for the slightest of moments Fiona looked upset. She quickly recovered, however.

"I knew the Grey Wardens better. Duncan was my closest friend."

Alistair's eyes widened with surprise. "You knew Duncan?"

Fiona nodded, a gentle smile on her face. "We travelled everywhere together before…"Her voice died down and she frowned. Forcing herself to remain silent, she looked at the papers on the desk and fidgeted around with them. After a few moments, she cleared her throat. "Well. No matter. I was very sad when I heard he had died. He was a great friend."

"He was a great man," Alistair said in a quiet voice. "He conscripted me into the Order. I hated being in the Chantry and he saw that. I thought the Grand Cleric was going to have a fit and arrest us both!"

A chuckle escaped Fiona's lips again, and her whole face lit up. "That would have been something to see, would it not?"

Alistair grinned back. "Well, it would have been very funny, to say the least. But Duncan took me away very quickly. I guess he was thinking the same and couldn't wait to put some distance between the Grand Cleric and us."

Fiona nodded. "Will you be returning to Ferelden soon?"

"We leave tomorrow at daybreak."

"I see. Well, let me just say – Alistair – that I am forever in your debt. You have done a great thing here and we will never forget it." Fiona was practically beaming at him and he gave her a lopsided grin.

"If I had to do it again, I would, Grand Enchanter," Alistair said warmly as he stood up.

"I'm sure your parents would be proud," Fiona said, rising from her chair. "Wherever they are…"

Alistair nodded and because he felt it was the right thing to do, took Fiona in his arms and gave her a quick hug. He nodded again and left the room.

The elven mage stood still for a few moments, as if deep in thought, her eyes shining like stars. Then she shook her head. She could not tell him what he didn't know. She knew that if she did, it would hurt him and she could not hurt him. He was too important to her for her to do that. It was better this way. It was better for him to believe what they had told him about his 'human' mother. If he knew the truth, he would probably step down from the throne, and that is something that Ferelden did not need. He had a life there, and he was a good king. A very good king.

Still, she would always remember this day. For it was the day when _her son_ had hugged her for the first time.

_Her son. _

And that memory alone would be the one memory that she would treasure forever.

…

"How did your mother die?" Anders was asking Rhys as they walked away from Wynne's grave under the oak tree.

"During the mage rebellion, while we were escaping. The Lord Seeker caught up with us and fought with Evangeline. He...killed her. Mother sacrificed her life so that Evangeline could live."

Anders stopped walking, rooted to the ground as he stared at Rhys who turned back to face him. For a few moments he could not speak.

"Evangeline has the spirit of Faith living inside her?" Anders finally managed to say.

"Yes, but I can tell you that she is the same woman I fell in love with," Rhys hurried to say.

"You know there is a very strong chance of corruption. But if there is no anger inside her and she doesn't hate, I suppose that she'll be all right."

"Trust me, she's doing fine. I know my mother did it for me." Rhys commented, his voice nearly a whisper.

"A final act of love," Anders nodded. "She was a good woman and a pretty strict mentor. But I always saw through her apparent sternness. I made her smile anyway."

"I'm sure you did," Rhys smiled.

Adrian spotted them speaking at the doors, and she went over, smiling and batting her eyelashes at Anders.

"I can't believe my luck! Meeting _both_ of you here?" She cooed.

"Don't believe your luck, because I'm off to meet my wife. The woman I love and married. And I'm sure that Rhys wants to find Evangeline," Anders deadpanned. His eyes flashed angrily for a split second, and he turned and walked towards the living quarters.

Adrian turned to glare at Rhys, but he raised a hand, interrupting whatever she was about to say.

"Please, Adrian. Do the world a favor and go recruit more mages. It's the only thing you're really good at."

…

"I know you have to return to Ferelden, cousin, but I would love to see you in Llomerryn soon," Rilka said as she hugged Faith goodbye. "Please come back home, we miss you!"

"I will, cousin. I promise."

"I guess it's time Leto met his cousin, huh?" Anders smiled.

Fenris smiled back at Anders and held out a hand. "You may be right."

Anders took Fenris's hand but he ended up giving the warrior a bear hug, and Fenris blushed all the way to his roots.

"Family is what is important," Rilka said fiercely. "Family is what matters. We will be waiting for you, cousin." She turned to Anders and gave him hug. "Take care of her, won't you?"

"Always," Anders murmured back.

…

With Rilka and Fenris gone, Andoral's Reach seemed a little colder and bigger to Faith even though Varric, Isabela and Zevran had stayed behind. The fact that they would be leaving for Ferelden at daybreak made dinner bittersweet. Both Rhys and Evangeline had grown to like Faith and her group a lot, and Fiona had her own reasons to be sad, but remained quiet at the table, picking at her food.

"Did someone die?" Isabela queried as she reached for a roll.

"We are sad to leave this place," Zevran mumbled under his breath. "We have made friends here, no?"

"I'm eager to be sailing," Isabela shrugged. She winked at Zevran who grinned back at her.

"I'm sure we'll keep in touch," Alistair supplied through mouthfuls of food. "It's not like we'll never see each other again…"

The Grand Enchanter continued to eat almost mechanically as she stared straight ahead.

"Will all of you head off to Ferelden?" Rhys asked.

"I'll be taking a ship to Kirkwall," Varric said. "Time to visit Bartrand."

"Our baby girl, Elizabeth, is waiting for us in Ferelden," Anders commented with a smile.

"She's well taken care of, of course. I'm sure Alyssa…has her hands full now. She didn't like the idea of being left behind with the children," Alistair commented.

Fiona fixed Alistair an interested gaze, a smile playing around the corners of her mouth.

"You have a large family? What about the taint?"

Alistair was quick to tell her about Avernus and his family, while Anders turned to Zevran and Isabela.

"We'll probably be heading to Llomerryn as soon as we can. Any chance you could take us there?"

"Of course, you goose," Isabela snorted. "But as soon as we drop you two off, we're setting sail again."

"We are?" Zevran smiled.

Isabela nodded. "I don't think I'll ever live in one place for long. The sea calls to me."

"Then we shall answer the call together, _mi amor_," Zevran hurried to say.

…

Anders made it a point to speak personally to Evangeline after dinner. Rhys and Faith sat quietly by, listening attentively.

"I know you had many problems with Justice," Evangeline was saying. "I don't know why this spirit is less aggressive, but I strongly suspect it's due to its nature."

"It didn't make mother aggressive, that's for sure," Rhys said quietly.

"I'm thinking you're right," Anders said thoughtfully. "I also think it's because you have no anger or hatred in you that confuses and corrupts it. I'm afraid that's what made Justice change."

"Don't blame yourself, love. You had no way of knowing this," Faith nearly whispered, squeezing his hand.

Anders looked deeply into Faith's eyes, a loving expression on his face. He didn't know what he would have done without Faith. In truth, deep down inside he knew that he probably would not be alive if it wasn't for her. She had been his rock and shield throughout his life, and he knew he would have gone insane without her.

…

They left Andoral's Reach early as planned and boarded Isabela's ship quietly. Even the weather was quiet throughout their journey and the sea mercifully calm.

Their time in Ferelden was short and tearful when they parted for Llomerryn. Alyssa and Faith had grown close, and the children didn't want baby Elizabeth to go. Emotional goodbyes were given and promises to keep in touch as well. They arrived in Llomerryn a month later, tired but happy to be home at last.

In the years that followed, the farm prospered. The war between mages and templars slowly tapered off and it was difficult to say whether one side had triumphed over the other for both sides had had great casualties. However, the mages did eventually rebuild the circles, which were called academies of magic. The Divine returned to Orlais, and re-established the Chantry, making it a point to tell the newly appointed Templar Order that they should try to leave the mages alone.

"They have suffered enough," the Divine proclaimed. "They deserve to govern themselves. We will remain vigilant, but will not oppress them. No human being deserves to be oppressed. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that a time of trust has begun."

The trust continued until the time of the Divine's death several years afterwards. Then the Conclave elected a new Divine who was not as pro-mage as Justinia was. There was talk of the Templars being sent back to the circles and putting a stricter leash on the mages, but the rumors continued for years to come and no action was taken for the time being.

Faith had another child, a boy this time, and Elizabeth, who turned two, was happy that she would be having a little brother. The years passed by and Anders was relieved that Avernus's treatment prevailed and he did not submit to the Taint. He was able to see his son grow up to be a good warrior and his daughter a powerful mage. Even so, Elizabeth never went to a circle and was never called an 'apostate'. She grew up a happy girl, and married later on and had children of her own. She never experienced the persecution that her father had and that, in itself, was the greatest thing in Thedas for Anders.

"What are you thinking, old man, smiling at the wall this time?" Faith said as she sat beside her husband one morning. "The other day you were smiling at the ceiling!"

"I was remembering that day in the gallows before the final battle in Kirkwall," he replied kissing her hand and smiling into her eyes.

"Oh? Refresh my memory , will you?" Faith grinned.

Anders chuckled. He pressed his forehead to his wife's and looked deeply into her eyes. "Ten years, a hundred years from now, someone like me will love someone like you…"

"And there will be no templars to tear them apart," Faith finished for him. "I remember it clearly, my husband."

Anders smiled.

He truly had been blessed. He didn't think it could get any better. He was home and free, and he had lived life to its fullest.

And that was enough for him.

...


	86. Epilogue

Chapter 86 – Epilogue

The dark-haired man woke up in a sweat, his magic flaring in the darkness, an aftermath of the nightmare he had just experienced. He lay there for a few moments, sweat pouring down his forehead and reaching the pillow, breathing with difficulty. His wife sat up beside him, a worried look on her face.

"A nightmare?" She asked.

"This was different," he replied.

His wife nodded, dressing quietly in the half-darkness of the room.

It had all been so real and vivid: a dark, black thing rising in the horizon, terrible and formidable. He sat up in bed, looking troubled and shook his head. He would have to call a meeting with the mages, for he knew that it would come to pass. His dreams were prophetic so they always did. He shook his head and frowned, thinking briefly about his father and mother. His father had been right in remaining vigilant.

Dressing hurriedly, he walked out of his chambers down the corridor to a vast hall, his wife beside him. The room was bathed softly in light coming from a glowing symbol in the center. He approached it and put his hands over the pulsating glowing rune.

"Conclave. All mages must convene immediately," he whispered. The rune got brighter for a few moments, then the brightness softly diminished. That he was calling the mages together in a conclave was to be expected, since he was the Grand Enchanter. The memory of his parents was on his mind and he shook his head as he waited for the mages to assemble. He could picture his father in his robes and his mother wearing her templar armor fairly well. He was glad they were not alive to experience this.

Before the mages arrived, he turned to his wife and was finally able to tell her the dream. She furrowed her brow for a few moments, then shook her head. She suddenly knew what this was all about and pursed her lips. Her mother had told her that while she lived in Kirkwall, she had had a dwarven manservant who had a son that was a bit simple. Yet, one night the simple-minded young dwarf had spoken some words that had puzzled her mother and chilled her to the bone. Elizabeth shook her head as she connected the dots and she turned a worried gaze on her husband.

_One day the magic will come back. All of it. Everyone will be just like they were. The shadows will part, and the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see._

It was time for war again.

THE END


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